Talisman
by infinite shadow
Summary: After a great set at the Rat's Nest, Galen and Flash begin to exhibit strange behaviour. Can Rob figure out how to help them before he falls victim to what's affecting his brother and friend? Rated T to be safe.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer**: The following story uses characters out of a book series called Custodes Noctis. Used with permission.

**Author's Notes**: Written for Muffy Morrigan for her birthday a few months back. It is now completed, beta'd and will be posted one chapter per week. The story will also be posted on my live journal site. This is because in coming chapters there will be lyrics that cannot be posted here. I hope you enjoy.

Muffy thanks for letting me play in your sandbox and for betaing your own gift.

**Talisman  
**_**a Custodes Noctis Fanfiction  
by infinite shadow**_

_**Talisman 1. Magical object: an object believed to give magical powers to somebody who carries or wears it, e.g. a stone or jewel**_

_**Talisman 2. Something with magical power: something believed to have magical properties**_

**Chapter 1**

Galen was completely lost, encompassed by the riffs coming off of his guitar. It wasn't often he just let himself go and let the music guide him. Energy crackled around him, the buzz coming from the ecstatic crowd. He could feel his band, The Urban Werewolves, was more in the mood to jam than play the usual songs. So he just relaxed and let the music fly.

The crowd was going insane, bobbing and weaving to the music, shouting out lyrics when there were some. Their set had already gone two hours longer than planned and they couldn't seem to stop. The energy flowed off the Rat's Nest patrons and went directly into the band encouraging them to keep going. One song morphed into the other as the band easily followed his lead. Part of him couldn't believe it when they started playing Free Bird even as he had to make himself slow down to do it. Shaking his head at Flash, he could feel a slight confused, if happy, jangle through his connection with Rob, but the crowd was eating it up as if it was the finest thing that had ever been played.

A shout of harmony came out of Flash as he moved down stage. Galen saw the look of joy on his face and he shifted so their backs touched and they leaned back against each other as they played a little faster through the notes.

Sweat was dripping down his face from the harsh lights and the strain to keep playing but he didn't care. The energy surrounding them was so good, laced with nothing but happiness that he just couldn't help but play.

He felt a slight ripple of amusement through the connection with his brother. It was laced with a bit of a beer buzz and understanding. It had been so long since they had been this happy, with nothing hunting them, or them being hurt. He couldn't help but send back the joy he was feeling back along the connection.

He laughed out loud. He just couldn't help it. He wanted to continue to play like this for the rest of his life. He could get stuck right in this moment, but he knew it couldn't last. And no matter how much fun they were all having, he could feel the exhaustion of his band around him, playing off nothing but pure adrenaline. He was starting to feel little jolts of pain through his sore fingers, and he knew they had to stop after this song.

Galen pushed off of Flash and turned enough to give him a nod and get one in return. They played the notes of a verse and chorus two more times before nodding at each other a final time. Their guitars moved in sync, once, twice before the final chord and drum beat sailed across the air. For one second the crowd slowed as the music died and then they all erupted in shouts and cheers.

He looked down over the crowd as the house lights came up just a little and he searched for his brother in the darkness.

'_Great set. I'm in the back,' _Rob sent to him through their connection.

He almost laughed out loud again. '_Thanks, Brat. Be there in a minute.'_

Galen was grinning and he wasn't sure he could ever stop as he pulled his guitar strap over his head and walked off stage. He knew even though nothing could be heard over the din from the crowd that Flash was right behind him. It had been one of the best nights ever but it hadn't started out that way.

_Five hours earlier..._

Galen pulled the order list out from under the cash register and looked it over. The store was tidy and he'd just finished sweeping the floor and dusting the shelves. With the shop empty of customers and five minutes to closing he moved over to the door intending to close up just a touch early. He spotted Becci across the street, leaning against the order window and waved.

He frowned. Becci just stared at him and a shiver ran through him. He was half way across the street before he even realized he'd left the Apothecary.

"Hey, Bec. How 'bout a coffee? Surprise me," he said easily as he got near enough of the window to be heard.

"Sorry, we're out," she said softly as she slightly shook her head and held up a hand to stop him two steps from her window. "Just closing up. Why don't you try Maverick's down the street? They've got really strong coffee just the way you like it and they're open real late."

"Yeah, ri..." Galen started to say as he opened himself just a little. He was hit was such a surge of fear and pain that he almost staggered back. He got a startling image of someone kneeling against the wall next to her knee holding a gun upwards at her. A second later a wave of greed and desire hit him so strong he almost couldn't speak. He cleared his throat as he closed the link down a bit. "Having trouble with that machine again, huh? Ok, no problem. Catch you tomorrow?"

"Sure," Becci said easily but the panic she sent out increased tenfold.

Galen started to walk away then turned back. "Oh, hey, that item you ordered from me? It's in. If your shift is over why don't you come over with me and pick it up? I can wait for you. The store's been quiet all afternoon," Galen said as he took a step forward and gave her a small smile. He tilted his head slightly at her and motioned at the wall.

"I... Ah... I," she mumbled as she looked behind him.

"Here you are. You left the store open," Rob said as he walked up and clapped his brother on the shoulder. "Hey, Becci."

"Bec's outta coffee. Machine's on the fritz again," Galen started to say but through the link he flashed the same picture he got from Becci's terrified mind.

'_Leave, then circle around the other side and,' _Galen started to say_._

'_And what? He'll be able to see me," _Rob shot back_._

'_Fine. Suggestions then?'_

'_Move around to the corner by the door. Be ready to open it,' _Rob sent to his brother.

'_She keeps it locked. You know that,' _Galen sent back impatiently.

'_Not today. She must have forgotten. I can see it's unlocked from here. Just move slowly,' _Rob said.

Rob gave Becci a softer smile. "Oh all right. You drive a hard bargain, girl. Although I have to say it's dirty pool to make me try cold coffee by keeping the real stuff from me. After all you've been on me for months to try it," he said as he glanced over at the machine churning slightly behind her.

Becci paled a bit more. "Yeah, ok," she whispered and slowly began to back away from the order window, then coughed to cover her surprise as she saw where Galen had moved.

"Ok, Bec? I thought you'd be all happy that I was trying the lame substitute that you keep selling to the poor guys that come here for the real thing," Rob said, trying to get her to relax. "Coffee places used to throw out cold coffee. It's unreal what people will buy today."

Galen watched from the side and opened the connection with his brother as far as it would go. _'I can't see her. I can barely see you. You've gotta tell me when to go in.'_

'_Not yet,' Rob sent back._

Becci turned and grabbed a large clear cup as she did. She placed it under the machine and reached for the handle on the machine that would pour out the drink.

Rob shouted as a figure dressed in a jean jacket and a hose over his head stood up. The back door slammed open and Galen yanked Becci out of the small hut. He ignored her startled scream and gasped as two gun shots rang out. He automatically crouched down, pulling her down with him. He pressed Becci between him and the cement bottom half of the building in case any other shots were fired.

Pain shot through his connection and he heard someone call out in pain.

'_Rob!' _Galen shouted through his connection. The pain increased and he began to feel light headed.

Becci's hands were tangled in Galen's shirt. He could hear her whispering something over and over. It took a moment for him to figure out she was telling herself she was fine. Then she was pressing her forehead into his shoulder and he automatically tightened his hold around her.

"Ok. I'm ok now. Galen? You alright?" Becci asked in a shaky voice. She was trembling and she'd gotten the coffee all over her hand. It was already warm and sticky making her grimace slightly at the feeling. "Hey, Galen, you ok?"

"Bec...ci?" Galen slurred out her name.

"Yeah. I got coffee all over me. I need to get cleaned up. Although I don't think it'll come out of this corset. It was my favourite one too," she said, giving a small shaky laugh. "Galen?"

Galen was panting trying to manage the pain that was coming through the connection. He blinked a couple of times before he realized what she was asking. But he wasn't getting up, or letting her up either, until Rob had the guy taken care of.

'_I'm ok. He's down and out. He wasn't shooting at me. You guys ok?' _Rob asked, his concern almost as overwhelming as the pain he was feeling.

Galen pulled back and sat down on the pavement. The heat of the summer that warmed the ground almost burned his skin through his jeans but all he could do was sit there.

"You're hurt," Becci said as she pulled at his t-shirt.

Galen tried to push her away, to keep her from looking at the wound.

"You guys ok over there?" Rob asked. "Police are on their way."

"He's hit, Rob. Galen's been hit and won't let me look at him."

'_Galen, how bad?' _Rob asked though their connection.

'_I'm not ... Rob?'_

Rob could feel waves of confusion through the connection that mixed with a weird disassociation with the things and people around him. "Galen? Hey, talk to me." It startled him that he couldn't feel his big brother's pain from his wound. He was the one who could shield Galen from what he was thinking and what he was doing. His older brother hadn't figured out how to do that yet.

"I think he hit his head when he pushed us down," Becci said.

Rob came over and crouched next to them. "Galen?" he asked out loud as Becci hurried back into the coffee shack. _'Come on man. You're freakin out Becci here. Talk to us.'_

Galen slowly brought his head up and looked slightly unfocussed at his little brother. "Rob?"

"Ah, yeah," he answered slightly sarcastically with a little grin.

"He's bleeding," Becci said as she crouched on Galen's other side. She pressed a wad of napkins against his arm.

Rob gently felt around his brother's head and found a knot. He shook his head. _'Can't even rescue the damsel in distress without getting hurt, can you?' _he sent affectionately.

"Rob?" Galen repeated as he frowned up at him.

"I've got you. You're ok," he answered softly as he sent calming waves through the connection. He pulled his fingers back and they came away coated with blood. He took some of the clean napkins from Becci and put them against where Galen was bleeding.

'_Feel funny.'_

'_I know. Workin' on it. Just do what I say, ok? You can give me grief later,' _Rob said as he communicated silently then took Galen's hand and put it over the napkins._ 'Ok. You remember how to heal?'_

'_Shut up,' _Galen said as he glared up at his little brother.

'_Now I know you'll live."_

Then Galen's scowl disappeared as his face relaxed a bit._ 'Heal what?'_

Rob sighed and shook his head. _'You. Heal yourself. You've got to stop bleedin' before the cops arrive and want to call an ambulance. Move or we won't get you out of this. Mike's still on vacation for a few days, remember?' _Rob cleared his throat."Hold it there; a little pressure will stop the bleeding. It's just a scratch."

"_Mike?" _Galen repeated through their connection as he tried to figure out who his brother was talking about. He didn't see their doctor friend anywhere. Was he there somewhere?

'_Easy Galen,' _Rob said and sent soothing energy to his brother. He could feel his anxiety and confusion rising. _'Just relax. Let me take care of this.'_

'_Rob? What happened?' _ Galen asked silently as he reached out and grabbed hold of his brother's arm.

'_Just relax. I've got this, ok? Trust me.'_

Galen closed his eyes and leaned back slightly. _'Yeah alright._'

"Will he be ok?" Becci asked softly, worry etched in her face.

"Oh yeah. Takes more than bad balance and a cement wall to take out an Emrys," Rob said ruefully to her and gave her a wink to make her relax a bit. But he was keeping an eye on his brother as he attempted to heal himself. He sighed and put a hand over his brother's heart and mumbled something about checking his heart rate. He couldn't actually heal his wounds but he could give him a bit of a boost that could help him focus so Galen could heal his wound.

A few minutes later the confusion in Galen's eyes disappeared and he focused on Rob. "Man what happened?"

"You hit your head while protecting Becci," Rob explained. "Stellar job by the way."

Galen ignored his brother's sarcasm and immediately looked at Becci who was strangling napkins in her hands. Even as he let Rob move his hand from his head to his arm, he swept a practiced eye over her looking for injury on his friend. Finding none, he forced himself to relax and let the healing flow into his arm to fix the wound there.

"I'm ok. Not a scratch," Becci said with a big smile. "Thanks to you."

Rob laughed softly.

'_I'm makin notes, Brat,' _Galen said through the link_. 'But thanks.'_

Rob shrugged. _'You good now?'_

'_Yeah, I think so.'_

"How many fingers?" Rob asked as he held up his middle one.

"Love you too."

A grin lit up Rob's face. "Ok you're totally fine. Up you get twinkle toes."

_Later that night at the Rat's Nest..._

Galen opened the door to the dressing room that doubled as a storage room, and walked around a few beer kegs. "Hey."

"Hey yourself," Rob said.

"That was a great set," Becci said.

"Yeah. That last song was amazing," Sarah said as she looked at Flash.

"Yeah, well...," Flash said. "It was weird. It was like I didn't want to stop playing. That if I could play forever or something weird like that."

"Hey your fingers are bleeding," Galen said softly, then looked down at his own. Sure enough his fingers were also bleeding, the ends of his fingers torn open by the guitar strings. Burgundy streaks down his hand showed they'd been bleeding for a while and had dried from the creases in his palm to his arm.

"It was the crowd. I've never seen them so into it," Rob said, giving a look at Galen before he got up and grabbed two towels off a broken down desk. He tossed them over to his brother and Flash.

'_What are you thinking?' _Galen asked as he tried to stop the bleeding of his fingers and saw Flash do the same thing in his peripheral vision.

'_I'm not sure. But there was a feeling, like the entire place had been drugged or something,' _Rob said but shook his head. _'I just don't know by what._'

Flash saw the look between them and cleared his throat. "Hey would you guys mind getting us some beers?" he asked as he looked at Sarah and Becci.

"Sure we can do that," Becci said and shot Galen a wink. "It's the least I can do for my clumsy knight in shining armour."

"Oh, that's a riot," Galen said back to her with a bit of a laugh.

"Usual guys?"

"Sure, that'd be great," Rob said.

"Thanks, ladies," Flash said as they left the room and closed the door behind them.

"Ok, so, what? I know that look," Flash said. "We've never played like that before. I mean we're good, but hell, that was right up there with Skynyrd. And we _never_ play their songs. Where did that even come from?"

Galen shook his head. "I don't know. We've never even practiced it before."

"You sounded like you had. I mean it was nothing like you normally play but it was amazing," Rob said.

"What if it wasn't really us?" Flash asked slowly. "What if we were being ... Well... Played?"

Rob and Galen both looked at him for a second.

'_He's crazy.'_

'_Well, he's your friend.'_

'_He's in your band.'_

'_You keep encouraging him.'_

'_He has his moments.'_

'_He delivers coffee.'_

'_There's that.'_

"Stop that. I can tell you are making fun of me," Flash sighed. "Guys, come on. I'm not the only one who felt that buzzy tingly sensation, right?" Flash swallowed heavily and his eyebrows arched up into his forehead. "Right?"

"I bet he gets a tingly feeling when Sarah's around," Rob said with a laugh.

"I did feel something," Galen acknowledged. "Something odd, fuzzy, like someone else was in control of my fingers while I played ... Does that even make any sense?"

"You're thinking possession?" Rob asked softly.

"No, I don't think so," Galen said glancing at Flash. "I felt like me, just kinda supercharged?"

"Yeah," Flash said even as he frowned and shook his head. "And no. I … I didn't have to think about the notes. I always have to think about them, get them set in my head before we play or as we start."

"It's ok, Flash. I get it," Galen said at his friend's huff of frustration at not being able to clarify. "I know at one point I had this urge to play 'Jupiter' which is insane 'cause it's not like we a symphony here to back us up, and even though I knew that I had to struggle not to go there. You shouted 'Renegade' as you started the intro and we played that instead."

"Man, I wondered what that riff was you were starting," Flash said with a rueful grin.

"Do you know the history of this place?" Rob asked.

"No," Galen and Flash said at the same time.

"Well, if you guys are being possessed by a previous band or something we're gonna have find them and put the guys to rest properly. But we'll look into it in the morning and see what I can find out," Rob said. "Could be bad beer?"

"Doubt it," Flash said a little morosely. "If it were this entire place would be getting destroyed. Or we'd all be puking our guts out and no way would we have played like that."

"Spiked?" Galen asked as he looked at Rob.

"Nah. Flash would be destroying the room like he was on acid."

"That's not fair!" Flash growled as he stood up and glared at Rob. "I had a reaction to prescription medication."

"Riiiiiigggghhht. You keep telling yourself that," Rob said with a smile.

"Whatever," Flash mumbled as he sat back down and checked on his fingers.

They all looked over at the door as it opened. Sarah and Becci came in, followed by the rest of the band, Sean and Pete Miles.

'_Oh good, the tainted beer is here,'_ Rob thought. _'Hey, maybe your next set could include some Chicago or Air Supply."_

Galen snorted out a laugh before he could stop himself. _'Brat.' _he said through the connection while looking innocently around the room.

**TBC….**

Let me know what you think…


	2. Chapter 2

**Talisman**

**Chapter 2**

**Disclaimer**: The following story uses characters out of a book series called Custodes Noctis. Used with permission.

**Author's Notes**: Written for Muffy Morrigan for her birthday a few months back. It is now completed, beta'd and will be posted one chapter per week. I hope you enjoy.

Muffy thanks for letting me play in your sandbox and for betaing your own gift.

* * *

Rob started researching the history of Rat's Nest as soon as he got back from the club. Their apartment over the shop was quiet and he was sure that his brother was sleeping. He'd just come in from dropping Becci off at home, Galen insisting he was fine taking a cab and that Rob was to stay out as long as he liked. Galen grinned and said he'd open the shop in the morning before giving him a nudge out the door.

He'd just grinned at his big brother trying to hook him up and taken Becci home. She'd been nervous after what had happened that day and Rob had taken time to walk around her place to make sure it was secure. He could see her aura flex and flash with anxiety, and her eyes shone with nervousness so he had stayed until she'd calmed down. He wouldn't leave until Becci had put his cell number on speed dial 1 in case there was any trouble. It seemed to settle her down even further and he felt better leaving her.

He came across a few things online with his research but they weren't helpful. They were mostly ads for Rat's Nest, reviews for The Urban Werewolves or other bands that frequented the bar. He was tired and unfocussed though. Part of him wanted to stay with Becci, just on the couch to be with her in case she needed someone. She had promised to call in case she needed anything, but his mind kept going from research back to Becci.

Tiredly, he ran a hand over his face and decided to throw in the towel. He'd get some sleep and check on her first thing with his morning coffee. He turned off the monitor and shuffled off to bed.

The next day after breakfast he tackled it again. He'd felt better after returning to the apartment. He'd had his first coffee with Becci that morning chatting easily with her and watched over her as she served coffee to people. Armed with his third cup he made notes about what had happened the night before, writing down anything that they talked about that seemed important and out of character. Granted, it was mostly Flash being Flash, goofing off with the extra energy from the long set and buzzed from the beer.

Nothing came up or at least nothing that he wouldn't expect to come up after spending so much time there listening to his brother's band play there. No strange deaths or mysterious injuries to patrons, staff or musicians in its seven year history.

The Rat's Nest did have the usual list of busts for weapons, possession of illegals, and general things like that from the patrons, but nothing from the current owners. In fact Rob couldn't find anything that would seem to be an issue for spirits to come after a band like they had.

So it had nothing to do with the Rats Nest in general.

Rob typed another search into Google and hit enter. He scanned down the page, then page 2 and page 3, bypassing all entries as having something to do with the club. The Rat's Nest was in an area of Tacoma that used to have shops and garages. The address of the club was the same as an old mechanic's shop. Aurora Car Repair.

He frowned a little at the title and clicked on a link. There was a picture of a woman standing in front of a garage with three open bays, all full of older cars from the seventies. The sign looked new in the black and white picture. In the left corner was a crescent moon and in the right corner a full sun.

Rob's frown increased as he read through the article to find the woman in the picture was in fact Aurora. She had originally been a tarot card reader and mystical healer. She'd met Bill when her car had been beaten with a hammer by a disgruntled customer. According to the story it was love at first sight. Divine intervention Aurora called it and they were married two weeks later. Several years later, they inherited the shop from Bill's father Michael. Bill renamed the shop after his wife and had her paint the new sign.

Rob shook his head. "Idiots. What guy in their right mind would take their car to a shop called Aurora?" he muttered to himself.

He clicked out of the article and kept looking. Two pages of search results later he found what he'd been looking for. A fire had destroyed the service bays. A fire, started by a blow torch. Two fatalities, twin boys, the children of Aurora and Bill.

He clicked into another article from a different newspaper. It had a black and white photo of a middle-aged man with an oxygen mask over his face sitting on an ambulance gurney. He was filthy the grainy image showing what looked like sooty smudges on his clothes and skin. The man looked distraught and Rob read through the article.

_I did everything I could to get those two young boys out of there. But the building began to collapse and it buried them before I could get close enough to help them. I barely got out of there alive._

The caption under the photo was _Mechanic John Winchester._

Rob frowned at the quote and had a vague memory that he really had to reach for, but it was just out of focus. The man looked familiar, even if the name was not. He shook it off the familiarity and concentrated on the fire.

He hacked into the insurance company and found that even though the fire was sketchy, there was proof enough that it could have been started by the blowtorch that had been used on a car frame in the third bay of the garage. The open flame had gotten too close to some rags and the place had gone up in a matter of minutes. The claim had been paid out and the owners put the garage up for sale.

The fire bothered him. The familiarity of the man, John Winchester, bothered him. It also bothered him that Galen had played an awesome set and because of that something had to have gone wrong. A possession or something along those lines.

He sighed heavily and ran his hand through his hair in frustration. He fixed himself a pot of coffee knowing that if he went back out to Becci, he'd be there for a while.

Rob settled back in front of his computer. He clicked on the link for the next page of the newspaper article and got an error message. He refreshed his screen and tried again. He swore quietly. The last part of the article was missing.

"Of course you're missing. Why should this be easy," Rob muttered. His head came up from the monitor and he glanced towards the stairs that led down to the store. His brother was fading. Galen's exhaustion came through in waves towards him that threatened to make Rob want to stop what he was doing and crawl into bed.

Closing his eyes, he took a breath and sent a gentle wave of energy to his older brother. He could feel the exhaustion ease enough that he was able to get back to work. Rob promised himself another hour on the computer before going down to relieve Galen from the store.

He typed in another search.

But as usual, he lost himself in the research and it was several hours and several creative searches later that he found a possible link. The twin boys Christopher and Matthew had been quite the guitar players. At the tender age of nine they were giving performances in local theatres. The review was quite extensive. It covered a playlist including Skynyrd, Eagles, Styx, Choppin, Elton John, Beethoven, and Simon and Garfunkel. The review had gone on to praise the two young boys for amazing playing and perfect harmonies. They got five stars out of five in the review and a list of where they would be performing next.

Rob nodded to himself. Now they were getting somewhere.

0000000000000

Galen tiredly closed up the shop. He was still exhausted from last night's set and had sluggishly made it through the day. He'd been across to Hot Babe's Coffee four times for six shot coffee's that would have normally made his heart race like crazy but instead they were literally keeping him on his feet.

His fingers had been covered in bandages so he wouldn't freak out the customers, but he could tell his demeanour was worrying Becci. He promised her that it wasn't anything to do with the incident at her coffee stand. He was just worn out from such a great performance the night before.

She'd giving him his first cup free and not charged him for all the shots in his coffee all afternoon. Until she cut him off an hour ago and he was having trouble keeping his eyes open.

He could hear singing as he reached the top of the stairs and instead of going to his room to collapse on his bed he redirected himself towards his brother's room. A smile lit up his pale features. Rob was quietly singing his favourite Saga under his breath.

"Hey, Brat."

"What are you humming?" Rob asked quietly and sent an energy wave through the link to his brother like he'd been doing on and off throughout the day. He clicked on another link as he continued his research.

"I'm not..." Galen started to say, then paused as he realized he'd stopped humming to greet his brother then stopped again to respond. "Huh."

Rob glanced up at the confusion in his voice and vibrated in the link. "Galen?"

Galen shook his head and turned away towards his room.

"Hey, where are you going? I've got something," Rob started to explain but realized his brother was turning down their link as well as tuning out his little brother. "Hey!"

Galen ignored the frustration he was getting through their connection and grabbed his guitar before settling on his bed. He needed to play. That's what was important anyway. Rob was always busy with his Sagas and ignoring Becci's subtle romantic advancements. He had the Apothecary, but more importantly he had his music.

He placed his fingers just right and notes began to fill the room. He relaxed against his headboard as the slow notes of _Stairway to Heaven_ began. It had always been one of his favourites and the band always lost the rhythm at the end so they'd never played it on stage. But here he could play and enjoy and feel the notes push everything else away.

Rob leaned on the door frame. "Since when are you jealous of me and Becci? We're just friends. And how is music more important than the store or our destiny?"

Galen closed his eyes and continued to play. The music was soothing the ripples of irritation he was getting from his brother and allowed him to concentrate on playing.

"Stop ignoring me," Rob demanded as he took a step into the room. "I found something I thought you'd be interested in."

"G'way," Galen murmured. "You're ruining the song."

"I'm ruining the…," Rob closed his eyes and reached for calm. "Ok, fine. Who's watching the store? We're not supposed to close for three hours."

"Rob please," Galen whispered. "You're contaminating the notes."

"It's Flash, isn't it? Why do you keep letting him watch the store? Last week he almost set fire to a 300-year-old Latin text, and two days ago he shattered a crystal goddess of the moon, which, ok, it wasn't a good representation of what she is supposed to look like and it was pretty bad. So, if he had to break something," Rob started to say and almost smiled when his brother stopped playing, only to frown again when Galen started to play it again from the beginning.

"The intro's the most important part," Galen murmured as he looked down at the strings. "Sets a calming mood, don't you think?"

Rob watched him for a minute. "Look, I hate to interrupt your practice here."

"Then don't. Go away _Robert_," Galen dismissed, and then closed his eyes as the notes began to get a little louder.

Rob shook his head. "That's it," as he walked over to Galen and snatched the guitar away from him mid-chord. He stepped back as Galen lunged for the musical instrument and so full of frustration Rob struck out.

"Wha…?" Galen said as he rocked back and blinked around the room. He rubbed gently at his face. "You slapped me? Rob, what?"

"Man, what is _wrong_ with you!" Rob demanded furiously. "Stop ignoring me for five minutes so I can get on with finding a solution."

Galen was taken aback by the fury that almost was physically painful coming though the link. "Rob, stop. How did I get up here? Who's watching the store?" he asked with eyes wide. He'd seen his brother angry plenty of times but rarely was it directed at him.

"What do you mean? You just told me you locked up because playing was more important than the store!" Rob ground out but tried to pull his anger back from the link.

"The store shouldn't be closed? We should be open for a couple more hours," Galen said and then dropped his head into his hands as a headache lanced through his head.

Rob sat down on his bed feeling the sudden pain through the connection. "Hey, are you ok?"

Galen could hear the concern and apology in his brother's voice. "I... I don't know. ... Yeah. Yeah, I'm ok. Just give me a second."

Rob nudged his brother with a bit more energy, so it wouldn't be so difficult to heal the sudden headache. He could feel a bit of confusion jangle back at him a little through the link before it was gone and so was the headache. "Wanna tell me what this is about?"

Galen eased himself back so he was resting more comfortably against the headboard. He shook his head. "I don't know. Just over did it yesterday, I think."

Rob shook his head. "Well, there's that, but I think there's more to it. You've never just dismissed me like that before."

"What are you talking about?" Galen asked.

"Just now," Rob said and at his brother's confusion he closed his eyes and showed his memory of the last few minutes to him. At the surprise he felt, he knew his brother wasn't himself and he needed to get this fixed now. "What's the last thing you remember?"

"Dragging myself over to Becci to get coffee," Galen answered and then smiled slightly. "Her look of utter disbelief when I asked for something monumentally strong, then I came back to open the store. Oh, and I sold one of those new amulets you ordered in."

"I didn't order in any amulets. I thought you had," Rob shook his head. "I thought it was a bit odd."

"What was?"

"The company was different," Rob answered.

"It wasn't from Willow Supplies?" Galen asked.

Rob shook his head. "I think it was Acme something or other. They didn't look real. I thought maybe you ordered in some just for those kids that keep coming around but can't afford the ones in the case?"

"I've been thinking about it. They have no idea what they're playing with and something that looked cool but wouldn't get them into trouble would be good for them," Galen mused and tried to hold back a yawn as he battled to keep his eyes open.

"I'll go down and reopen the store. Get some sleep, ok?"

"No."

Rob's eyebrows rose to his hair line. "No?" he repeated.

"Do you mind giving Rhiannon a call and see if she'll watch the store for a bit?" Galen asked softly. "Maybe you could do some more digging."

"OK, but only if you promise to get some sleep," Rob said.

"Deal," Galen said as he closed his eyes and was asleep almost instantly.


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer**: The following story uses characters out of The Legacy in a series called Custodes Noctis. Used with permission.

**Author's Notes**: Written for Muffy Morrigan's birthday a few months back. The story will also be posted on my live journal site. This is because in coming chapters there will be lyrics that cannot be posted here. I hope you enjoy.

Muffy thanks for letting me play in your sandbox and for betaing your own gift.

Also as far as I know the lyrics in this chapter are made up by me. I have never done well with poetry so I know it's not very good. However it's in the begining stages for Flash as well. Flashback ahead as well. Let me know what you think.

* * *

**Talisman****  
Chapter 3**

_A few days earlier…._

Being left in charge of the Apothecary didn't happen very often for Flash. Usually if it had to be left with someone it was left in the very capable hands of Rhiannon. It wasn't like she broke stuff or barely managed to not break something. He wasn't clumsy by nature and swore often enough to Galen that he was possessed.

Which prompted a very embarrassing, if fake, cleansing ritual. By the end of it he'd heard so much Latin he wasn't sure what English was anymore, and he was so drunk he couldn't walk unassisted.

Flash smiled as he sat carefully behind the counter. He had ensured there was nothing close by that he could tip over and break. Because he knew, without a doubt, he'd never hear the end of it.

The door opened and Flash smiled at the new potential customer. Only it wasn't a customer, but a delivery guy in a bright orange button down shirt and white shorts.

"Hey. I got a delivery for Galen and Robert Emrys?" the man asked.

"Not here but I can sign for it," Flash said as he stood up.

"Just one box. Be right back," he said.

"With just enough time for me to find my shades," Flash said as he shook his head.

The delivery man returned a moment later with a medium sized box and a clip board.

"So, what is it?" Flash asked as he signed on the page where the guy gestured.

"How should I know?" he said with a shrug and a slight smile. "Don't pack 'em, just deliver 'em."

"Right," Flash said, and handed back the clip board.

He didn't watch the man leave because Flash couldn't seem to take his eyes off the box. Curiosity usually got the better of him, but he made himself look away. His eyes darted around the room until they looked out the front window. He knew Sarah was working this afternoon and he thought about running over for a quick coffee. But that was number 2 on Rob's list of Flash's no-no's while watching the store.

Flash looked down at the neon yellow post-it Rob had smacked onto his forehead before they'd left. Actually the one he'd slapped onto his forehead had been florescent pink and Flash had tossed it into the garbage. This one was stuck to the cash register; there was one in purple on the back notice board and another pink one in the employee washroom.

Come to think of it, they had been copied out in both of the Emrys' handwriting, making Flash smile at the realization. He reviewed the list once again.

1 – You break it you bought it. Visa, Mastercard, Discover and Diner's Club not accepted. Only American dollars or slave labour accepted.

2 – No running out for a quick coffee. You'll never return.

3 – Do not dust. See Rule #1

4 – Do not sweep. See Rule #1

5 – Do not wander about the store to help customers or just wander about in general. See Rule #1

6 – Do help the customers. From behind the counter. From a seated position. Hands flat on the counter. See Rule #1

7 – Do not look in boxes left at the back door if you want to live. See Rule #1

8 – Do not sample the herbs. We need you as semi-coherent as you get so you can help the customers. See Rule # 6 then Rule # 1

9 – Do not scare away the customers with your knowledge of music. They've come for the mystical not the musical.

10 – Do not short change us, or dear old Mrs. Williams, at the till. We know where you live and where Mrs. Williams will bury your bones.

With a sigh, he looked over to where Sarah was leaning out the window to take a customer's order. Today must have been leather day or fetish day. He couldn't tell from over here, but it was one hell of a leather outfit and he desperately wanted to go over there.

He made himself look away. He only wanted to go over there for her protection. Really. That's all it was.

He looked around the store again. He felt bored and wished he'd brought his guitar so he could keep working on the piece of music he'd been working on to surprise Galen with.

He started humming the notes he had already written and stared at the box for a few minutes. The humming stopped, his lips pursed as he frowned at the box. Abruptly he stood up with his hands poised to grab the box but he'd stood up too fast knocking the chair back into the display behind him. He cringed as he heard a few things fall over and the sound of glass breaking.

Flash's chin dropped down to his chest. "Seriously man, I'm cursed."

Sighing heavily he turned and looked at the damage. Thankfully, there wasn't any. The items that had fallen were carved seashell-type shiny material on a necklace. The sounds he had heard were them clinking together and not actually breaking. Breathing a sigh of relief, he carefully righted the small stand they were on and turned his attention back to the box.

With his pocket knife, Flash made quick work of opening up the package. He peered down into the box and looked through it. There were boxes labelled with what he thought could be herbs, or assumed that's what they were. He carefully pulled it out and put it on the counter. Under that box was another. It was blue, as deep as a summer sky, and it sparkled. The words in elegant script said Acme Amulet Association.

He loved looking through the collection in the store and as a bonus Galen and Rob usually let him because they weren't breakable. He'd liked them ever since he'd been a child and even though he'd not known what they were meant for they'd always intrigued him.

Flash couldn't stop staring at the blue box and he was opening it before he could stop himself.

He was still humming a tune, an original piece he'd been working on to surprise Galen for his birthday. Flash figured he had just enough time to make it before Halloween. As he got up to the part he kept getting stuck on he just started over from the beginning again. There were a few words, but they'd been not quite right yet, but the first verse he had down. As he began to open the box he sang quietly to himself.

_**Broken hearts, tears and sorrow  
Left to wonder, to steal, to borrow  
Family shattered and torn apart  
Ain't much left, lost to the dark**_

He smiled as the words felt kind of right, but not quite there yet. The sheets of music he had at home had power house chords to go with the lyrics. He couldn't wait to play it for his best friend. He tried the next verse again.

_**Links to the past gone, future unsure  
light comes from the least expected place  
Never home, never gone, never doubt  
Will it keep, will faith hold out  
History revisits with shock and elation**_

He faltered as it didn't grab him, making it not quite right yet, although part of it was ok. He still had some fiddling to do with the verses and chorus. He smiled to himself and started from the beginning. This time just content to hum the tune.

He lifted to top off the box and his eyes opened in almost awe as he reached in and ran his fingers over the pieces. They looked like they were mostly iron pieces, probably consecrated iron. Galen had patiently explained to him once, and why it was so important, but he couldn't remember just then.

There were a few that looked to be gold silver and copper, with slivers of jade, rubies or diamonds in them. He glanced up at the similar ones they had in glass display case that he wasn't allowed in. When he'd asked Galen about them his friend just shrugged. They weren't important at all, no specific reason behind them; they held no power or were really even symbolic of anything. Some people would just want them for how they looked.

His attention went back to the box and the amulets in his hands. Hearing a sound, he dropped them and they made a clinking sound as they fell in a heap at the bottom of the box. There was no one in the store and no one around that he could see.

He glanced at his watch and knew Galen and Rob weren't due back for at least two hours. Flash jumped as the phone rang. Shaking his head he picked it up.

"Apothecary."

"Hey, Flash," Galen said.

"Hey."

"Everything ok?"

"Yes, Galen. Everything's fine. Nothing's broken and I've not gone crazy like a kid in a candy store. Everything is still the way it was before you left and I've not gone for coffee."

"Ah, yeah. That must be it. We saw Becci on our way out. Leather day. Rob didn't want to leave her alone," Galen said with a bit of a laugh in his voice.

"_Someone needs to protect that girl some days, dude! You know it!"_

Flash laughed a bit. But he knew exactly what they were talking about. "So you really called to check on the coffee bar? Sarah looks ok out there," he said but felt a bit uneasy about her being out there alone.

"I'm sure she's fine," Galen said.

"Yeah, yeah of course she is," Flash replied, feeling a bit sheepish. "I know they can take care of themselves, I really do, but some days I worry someone's gonna get the wrong idea."

"Which is why we make so many coffee runs during the day," Galen said. "Look we're on our way back already. Should be there shortly, ok?"

"Sure."

Moments later he was off the phone and peering down into the box again. He frowned a bit as one amulet in particular caught his attention. Pulling it out of the bunch he ran a finger over the design.

It was kind of plain, but there were knots around circles and it struck him just how much he wanted, no, it felt like he needed it.

Before he really realized what he was doing, he was slipping it over his head and looking in the mirror in the display behind him. He stared at where it rested on his chest. Flash ran his finger over the amulet again, feeling how right it felt there. Like it should have been there all along.

Flash smiled at himself in the mirror, remembering something similar he'd seen as a child.

_Several years earlier….._

"Alvin? Sweetheart? Come away from the window now, child."

"But, Aunt Trina," Flash said quietly. He had to be ready if they came.

"They're not coming for you," she said as she came and sat next to him.

"But what if they do? Dad doesn't like to wait, so I need to be ready."

"They won't. Not for a while yet. They need some time," she said softly and put her hand on his back.

"Why? I want to go home," Alvin huffed as he turned and sat down properly on the couch. "They made me leave my guitar behind."

"Well, there is more to life than playing guitar," Trina said and immediately held up her hand to stop the argument that she'd heard five times already that day. "Not forever, just a few days. Monday we'll go into town and see what we can do about getting you a guitar. It won't be perfect, like the one that's yours, but a temporary replacement."

Alvin frowned and sighed. "Ok," he said quietly.

"Now then. Is there anything you'd like to do, Alvin?"

"Name's Flash," he mumbled.

"What was that?"

"Flash. My friends call me Flash. Only mom and dad call me Alvin and it's usually when I'm in trouble."

"Oh, I see. And how did you get that name?"

Alvin "Flash" Lynch just sat on the couch and shrugged. It didn't matter how he got it. It was his name. Why couldn't people call him Flash, it was sooo much better than Alvin. Yuck.

"Ok. Well," Trina frowned wondering what to do with the sullen child on her couch. "Oh. I wonder."

Flash turned and looked at her.

"You wouldn't be interested in that. It's just silly," she murmured.

"What?"

She looked at him appraisingly and sighed as he curled in a little around himself. "I have something you may want. It was your great-great-grandfathers."

"Yeah?" Flash asked, suddenly interested. He had vague memories of an old man telling him stories about sprites and leprechauns. Granted he'd been four when his great-grandfather passed away at the age of 102 and the stories had been a bit odd, but he'd liked them.

"Let me go get it for you."

A few minutes later Trina returned with something in her hands. "I think he'd like you to have this," she said as she took his hand and put the item into it.

Flash looked down at it and cocked his head slightly as he stared down at it. The necklace was nothing like he'd ever seen before. It was like someone had taken lines and folded them around other lines. It was strange but he liked it. "What is it?"

"It's a Celtic knot," she said with a smile. "There are several different designs and types. Celtic knots are endless knots that are used mostly for decorations. There's no beginning and no end. And they used to fascinate your great-great grandfather."

Trina had brought out a couple of books, even telling Flash her favourite stories she'd been told as a child. In the two weeks he was there she had dazzled him with stories of Celtic lore, faeries, wood elves and the likes for hours.

She could also play the piano. True to her word, they'd gone into town and rented him a guitar for the duration of his visit. She'd also sprung for some books that had music for popular songs that he liked. They had played together and she had taught him how to read sheet music for the piano. He could kind of do it, but he was much happier playing the guitar. When his father had finally come for him he hadn't wanted to leave. Even after things got better with his parents, he'd beg to go and stay with her.

When summer came he went for the full two months with her. By the time he left, he had the basic understanding of sheet music for the piano as well. He'd written his first song with her help. He'd figured it out and played it for her. In turn she wrote the chords for the piano as well, and on her sheet he'd added the guitar notes on little miniature frets.

Looking back, he knew the song was terrible, and he refused to play it, but it was his. He owed a lot to her. The music had made it easy to bond with her, but it was the lore that made his imagination soar. He had books on Celtic lore and had one or two that he'd almost worn the bindings through on. But no matter which stories were his favourites, that he always wanted to reread, he always without question came back to the Celtic knot.

It was with sadness as he thought about his great-great grandfather's amulet. It had been stolen from his apartment a few years back. He'd drawn a copy of it one night while he was supposed to be writing a new tune for the band and couldn't come up with anything. He still had that drawing and had been considering having it tattooed somewhere on his body.

He smiled and wondered what his aunt's reaction would've been to that. Getting a tat was marking his skin for life. It was that important to him. He thought he should just get it done and when he showed her if she didn't approve he could just smile sweetly at her and ask forgiveness. It was easier to do that than ask permission.

He shook himself out of his thoughts and looked at the amulet again. While the design in the reflection was not the same as his lost family heirloom, it reminded him of it.

A customer came in and he took time to help the man find the book he'd been looking for. When he'd completed the sale he bent down to get a bag. The amulet swung out from his neck almost hitting the shelf next to him. Worried something would happen to it made his heart stutter slightly. He didn't want to lose it like he'd lost his first Celtic knot. Flash quickly took it off and tucked it into his pocket then finished up with the customer. He'd talk to Galen and Rob about buying it when they came back.

Almost an hour later when the Emrys returned to the store Flash had forgotten all about the charm in his pocket. He watched them scour the store looking for missing or broken products and feigned dismay at their shocked teasing that nothing had been broken. Flash told them about the few sales he'd made, then made a dashed out to see Sarah before she closed up for the night.


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: **The following story uses characters out of The Legacy in a series called Custodes Noctis. Used with permission.

**Author's Notes:** This may look a little disjointed in places. This chapter has lyrics which cannot be included in this post. I do have a chapter including the lyrics at my live journal site. If you would like to read it there it is my home page in my profile. If not the only thing that is missing in this chapter is the lyrics.

Muffy Morrigan thanks for letting me play in your sandbox.

* * *

**Talisman  
Chapter 4  
****By infinite shadow**

Flash walked into the Apothecary balancing three coffees in his hands. He put them onto the counter and smiled almost wolfishly at Rob. "Becci was worried your caffeine level was low so cause she hasn't seen you for hours. With her complements," he said, picking up one of the take out cups and handing it to his friend.

"Thanks," Rob said.

"Where's Galen? She insisted on sending decaf, no matter how much I protested," Flash said.

Rob shuttered. "Decaf? What's the point?"

"Got me. Now c'mon. Where's Galen," Flash said as he glanced quickly around the shop then back to Rob.

"Galen's asleep. Tuckered out from last night. If it's possible he looks even worse than you do, although you do look like crap."

"He open?"

"Yeah. I took over for him. Like I said he needed the sleep," Rob said as he frowned slightly. Flash looked nervous and jumpy. "Think you could use more."

"Slept till I came over."

"Seriously? Man it's almost five," Rob said with a slight shake of his head.

"Yeah. Wanted to play but came by instead. Wanted to see how you two were feeling," Flash said as he picked at the red stained bandages covering his fingers.

"We're fine, well Galen's exhausted but other than that he's fine," Rob said and watched as Flash nodded and turned to look around the store again. "Hey, what's wrong with you?"

"Nothing. Nothing. Just wanna… Need to play. Gotta get Galen. Good. Yeah. Wake Galen and play. Yeah good," Flash mumbled to himself as he started for the curtains and the stairs that led to the Emrys' loft over the store.

"Wait!" Rob said sternly as he reached out and caught Flash's arm. "He's only been asleep for about an hour. Leave him be, Flash. He needs the rest."

Flash frowned and looked down to where Rob's hand was holding onto his arm. He yanked out of Rob's grasp. "He needs to play. _**We**_ need to play. It's far more important than sleep. You don't understand. You don't _**feel**_ it."

"What are you talking about?" Rob frowned at his friend. "It's not that important."

"What would you know about it?" Flash sneered. "You're not a musician. Nothing, and I mean nothing, not the store, not the fact that you're back in his life, mean more than the music. You couldn't even tell he was alive. You didn't even try to find him. _**I**_stood by him."

"Flash, what is wrong with you?" Rob asked with wide eyes, trying to keep the shock, shame and anger from coming out. Flash was their friend. He'd never dream of talking to either himself or Galen this way.

"You should've stayed gone. He's been hurt more with you back in his life," Flash said. "I should've never let him or go to the hospital to save you. Would've been better to just let you die."

"What?" Rob said softly and watched dumbfounded for a minute as Flash turned and strode into the back room. He sat heavily down on the stool behind the counter.

The shop door opened and Rob turned and just stared at the person coming in.

"Hey, Rob," Rhiannon said with a bit of a smile. "Heard from Becci that I missed out on quite the show last night. Anyway, my cell died just as you tried to call earlier, but I'm here now and you can tell me all about it."

She frowned as he stared at her. She snapped her fingers in front of his face, snapping him out of his fog. "Hey, you with me?"

"Yeah. Yeah," he said softly and felt Galen jolt awake. Fear, surprise and confusion jangled through the connection before it closed down a little.

"What is it? What's wrong?" Rhiannon asked as she came around the counter and stood next to him. Putting a hand on his shoulder she could feel tremors running through his body.

"Nothing. … I … Um, can you watch the store for me? We close in an hour and I've got research to do," he said looking up at her.

"No need to use the eyes, hon," Rhiannon said softly giving his shoulder a squeeze before pulling back. "Of course I'll watch it for you. Go do what you need to do. I'll be up in an hour, ok?"

"Yeah. Ok," Rob said, standing up and surprising them both by reaching and pulling Rhiannon into a hug. "Thanks," he whispered before pulling back and heading up the stairs.

Rhiannon watched the curtains where Rob had just disappeared through and wondered what she had actually missed.

The shock had passed fairly quickly turning to relief. Rob had no idea why he'd practically leapt into a hug with Rhiannon, he wasn't that touchy feely with his friends. It might have had to do with the all encompassing relief that she was willing to help him, or that he was shy on his daily dose of caffeine. Or the surprise of how Galen had treated him earlier that day and now Flash.

He got to the top of the stairs and found Galen and Flash on the couch. Galen had brought out both of his acoustic guitars and they each had one resting on their thighs with their fingers resting over strings and frets. Rob couldn't help but notice the bandages were gone from his brother's fingers. In fact all of their fingers seemed to be fine with no marks showing how badly they'd been blistered to the point of bleeding from the night before.

Rob was about to say something but Galen smiled at Flash for a moment before he started strumming out a tune.

"Ok, what is this one?" Galen asked, playing the same notes waiting for his friend to answer.

Flash played a few notes before he smiled and shook his head. "'Wind Cries Mary'. Dude, come on. Not even difficult."

"Ok. Ok," Galen said as he bit his lip for a minute and then nodded. He strummed out a few more notes.

Flashed frowned and shook his head. "Don't know this one."

Galen repeated the opening and began to sing.

Flash laughed out loud. "Shinedown? Crow and the Butterfly?"

Galen stopped singing. "Yeah. Took you long enough."

"Ok, my turn," Flash said and thought for a minute before he started to play.

"Ugh. You and Pink Floyd. It's Poles Apart. Play something good," Galen said with a shake of his head.

"Ok. Ok. How about this one?"

"Swamp Music, Skynyrd," Galen said shaking his head four notes in. "C'mon man something hard."

Flash nodded several times before he carefully put his fingers on the strings over the frets. A small smile graced his face as he closed his eyes and began to play.

Instead of giving the answer Galen smiled slightly as well and joined in before singing.

Rob stood there for a while just listening and watching. It wasn't the first time they'd sat in the living room playing the beginnings of songs or playing "what's this tune". Usually he chimed in if he was around, shouting out an answer that stumped one or the other. And some nights the lyrics got raunchier with the more alcohol that was consumed.

What did surprised him that neither one realized he was there, maybe not so much with Flash but with Galen. He straightened up from where he'd been leaning against the wall with a start. Their connection was eerily silent. That feeling that someone was there, the happiness or joy that his brother was feeling should have been there. Rob had to dig deep for the small jangle of something, but it was so small he couldn't even say what he felt.

"Galen?" he asked quietly almost fearfully.

Galen sighed and stopped playing. "I'm kinda busy here, Rob."

"Yeah and it sounds really good, but," Rob started to say.

"Yeah it does sound good. Would sound even better if you went away and left us alone," Flash said and stopped playing as well as he looked at Galen. "How about this one?"

"Road to Nowhere. Ozzy. Something difficult," Galen said. "C'mon challenge me."

"Ok, ok, ok," Flash said and a huge grin lit up his face. "Try this one."

The living room was filled with riffs as Flash closed his eyes and just concentrated on the notes. They soared through his fingers and his face lit up even though his eyes were closed. All that mattered were the notes, and the feeling of perfection that filled him. This. This was living, he thought as his fingers flew up to the top of the neck then almost to the bottom. Flash stood up and just let all the notes he could make fly. He felt so happy, so filled with joy he was laughing out loud. This was everything he ever needed. This was all that mattered.

Until the feeling shattered and hands were clenched painfully on his arms. Someone was shouting his name and he wanted them to stop. They were ruining the song.

"FLASH! STOP!" Galen shouted and gave him a little shake.

Rob was suddenly between them and yanked his hands away from the guitar. He grabbed the neck, unhooked the guitar strap and forcefully pulled it away from his friend.

"Wha-?" Flash muttered as he blinked in rapid succession and looked around. He focused on the man in front of him. "Rob?"

"Yeah?" Rob said lowly with a bit of apprehension mixed with concern.

"How'd … When…. I…," Flash started a look of bewilderment on his face.

Rob turned to his brother. "Take off the guitar or I'll take it off of you," he growled.

Galen frowned at him. "You're not the boss of me."

Rob closed his eyes reaching for calm. "I will beat the shit out of you, jerk, if you don't take it off now."

Galen frowned at him. He could feel a sudden intense anger, laced with concern and a bit of fear. It was far too close to how he'd felt a few hours earlier when Rob had taken the guitar out of his hands in his room. It made him take a step back and take a deep breath. "Ok, Rob. Ok." He took the guitar out of his little brother's hand and even though it was a struggle he put both guitars into their cases and snapped the lids closed.

"No wait! I need that! I need to play!" Flash said and tried to lunge forward towards the cases.

Rob held him back almost without thinking. His eyes landed on a necklace that peeked out from under Flash's shirt. He began to think it wasn't so bad if they wanted to play guitar. After all, if he didn't have to watch over them and worry over them he could spend more time researching sagas and get them all together in his own bound reference books. All catalogued and cross referenced the way he needed them to be.

He shook his head sharply. "Flash stop," he said calmly and gripped his friend's biceps with almost all his strength. He was going to leave bruises but he needed Flash to see and hear him.

"Ow! Dude, get off me!"

"No. Do you see me, Flash? Stop looking at the guitar cases and look at me," Rob said clearly and slowly. He needed Flash's attention on him and not the object he most desired at this point in time.

"Rob, what is your problem, man?" Flash said heatedly as he turned and focused on him. But even as he spoke the room seemed to snap into sharp focus. The confusion that had been there, just under the surface, cleared. He looked from Rob to Galen who was standing behind his brother and back to Rob. "What's going on?"

"You with me?" Rob asked

"Yeah. What's going on?" Flash asked.

Rob let his death grip go, dropped one hand and the other pulled on the amulet so he could see it. "Where'd you get this?"

"Oh God! I meant to tell you, ask if I could... but there were customers and I put it into my pocket so no one else would and I just liked it and I didn't think you'd mind that I'd wanted it and and…"

"Easy, Flash," Galen said as he moved to stand next to his friend. "Where did you get the amulet?"

"I… I…" Flash stammered, trying to answer.

"It's alright, Flash," Rob said seeing fear and confusion in the man's eyes. "Just tell us man. It's not like we think you took it on purpose. Did it come from the shipment that came in?"

Flash nodded.

"Ok," Rob said, giving him a slight smile. "Now we're getting somewhere."

"Why that one?" Galen asked.

"It reminded me of my aunt Trina, you know the one that looked after me when my folks almost split when I was a kid?" Flash said, looking at Galen.

"Yeah I remember you telling me about her," Galen said, knowing how much of an influence the lady had been on his friend. She'd taught him a lot about music and lore and was to this day his favourite family member.

Flash turned to Rob. "She took me in when my folks were having trouble. She taught me about Celtic lore and family and music and … well… just about everything," he said with a slight smile.

Rob nodded. "The amulet looks Celtic. I can see why you would like it."

Galen looked over at his brother. "Why don't we see if we can find anything about this online?"

"Sure. I'm also going to check out that Acme Company," Rob said. "In the meantime why don't you both go help Rhiannon down in the store?"

"Can't we just play a little longer?" Flash almost whined.

Rob shook his head and turned to Galen who had already moved towards the cases. "One step closer and I remove all of your instruments from here," he said, then turned to Flash. "And I go to your place and take away all your toys too."

"Awww man!" Flash grumbled good naturedly. "Ok. We'll go down.

"Yeah," Galen said even as he looked at the closed cases on the floor. He gave himself a shake and forced his feet to move towards the stairs. '_Thanks, Rob.'_

Rob felt his throat constrict just a bit. He could feel the difficulty, the pull, the guitars had on his brother and no doubt was even more for Flash. But he knew with Rhiannon they wouldn't be back up for a while. But only if she knew what was going on. _'Galen, talk to Rhiannon. Let her know what's going on and that you two aren't to be back up or to play guitar, ok?'_ he sent gently, almost regrettably, through their link.

'_Yeah, I will. You ok?'_ Galen sent back.

Rob felt tired, stressed, worried and a bit lost over this problem. _'Yeah, I'm ok.'_

'_Liar',_ Galen sent back fondly. _'Coffee?'_

'_Yeah, that'd be good and helpful.'_

'_Be back in a few minutes,'_ Galen sent back. _'I want to leave Flash with Rhiannon and help you with the research.'_

'_I don't know,_' Rob sent back.

'_I do. Older and wiser. 'Sides, I have some ideas,'_ Galen said.

To be continued...


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: **Characters property of Muffy Morrigan from a book series called Custodes Noctis. Characters used with permission.

**Author's Notes:** Same as last week folks. Lyrics were originally used in this chapter, but as they aren't allowed here on FFnet I have removed them. If you'd like to see the chapter with lyrics check out my livejournal site by clicking on my homepage link on my main page.

Also on my LJ page today the cover art Muffy made for me. :) Thanks girl!

Muffy thanks for letting me play with your characters.

* * *

**Talisman****  
Chapter 5**

Rob had found a few answers shortly after he'd sent Flash and Galen downstairs. The amulet belonged to Mathew. But to his surprise he found that it had a mate. When they were together they eradicated all doubt the wearers had and filled them with confidence. When they were separated each piece slowly sucked all life from the wearer by making the person do something he or she loved to do until they died.

Aurora had found them somehow, and it had gone back in history to a Celtic woman who had been claimed by a Viking prince. The prince had given her one of the amulets on their wedding night and kept a matching one for himself. Both were in the style of Celtic knots. One was straight lines curved around in almost rectangular shapes. Hers was graceful loops with a circle in the middle.

The man in the village who had fashioned them was angry the prince hadn't chosen his daughter for his wife. The lore said he'd wanted them cursed and to end the lives of the royal couple within the year. But it backfired somehow and only strengthened their relationship. Several years later when the prince, then king, perished in battle the Queen died shortly after.

"That has to be the worst story I've ever read," Rob muttered as he tried to search through another page and got a similar story. It wasn't exactly the same, but along the same lines. Cursed amulets, royal Viking couple and the King died followed shortly by the Queen.

Rob leaned back and clicked on the picture filling the screen with it. It wasn't a photo but a drawing of the two amulets. One was definitely the one that Flash was wearing. He clicked print while considered the lore and studied the picture.

He knew without a doubt Flash's first love was music. Rob hoped he was wrong but the only thing he could come up with was the amulet would make him play until he died of exhaustion.

Theory on the lore stated it could also affect the ones around him who cared the most about the person. Rob knew without a doubt Flash and Galen were close, as close as friends could get. Flash had been there when Rob believed Galen had been dead and tried to end his place in the line of Keepers.

Sometimes Rob thought that Galen and Flash were more like brothers than friends. Not that it bothered him, not really, he was glad Galen had someone with him when Rob thought he was dead.

There was no question how much Galen loved to play, but Rob had no idea how much. He would have guessed his older brother would have loved running the store, or hunting, or herb lore or a combination of all of it. Just being a Keeper seemed to make Galen happy. There was the tradition, the lore, the fighting and being with his brother. Galen seemed to be content with his life as far as Rob could see.

But on the other hand Galen's love of music made sense, too. The only responsibility he had on stage was getting the notes correct and singing the right lyrics. It didn't have the pressures of being a Keeper. Rob wondered if Flash was right, maybe Galen should've stayed dead to him.

That thought sent splintered feelings of sadness as he remembered with crystal clarity when Galen was taken from him. The grief had been overwhelming and he couldn't even speak for the first day or two.

Rob shook his head, trying to keep from spiralling into the depths of sorrow but he couldn't help it. The years apart from his brother had been bad for him and he'd learned how to survive and cope without Galen. He hadn't been alone, Rob still had his foster family, but it hadn't been the same. As good as they had been to him and as much as they had tried to be supportive, he'd been lonely and missing his brother so much it physically ached. The broken bond left him feeling empty inside, and it was almost as if he'd lost the ability to speak in a foreign language or had lost a limb.

It wasn't anything he could explain to anyone, and eventually his foster family had stopped asking. It had made it better and worse. They gave him the space to find the solace he was searching for, but it also gave him more time to think about his lost brother.

An all consuming ache flowed over him and he felt his eyes sting with unshed tears. He couldn't lose Galen again. It wasn't just that he wouldn't survive the breaking of the bond, the very thought of being that alone and unconnected again was beyond distressing.

A shiver ran through him at the very thought of being wholly separated from his older brother and he took a long stuttering breath. He could feel panic building inside of him and he did his best to quell it.

Galen was here. He was alive. He was being affected by something but he wasn't gone. They'd find the answer and fix it. Simple. It was what they did. Almost every day.

"He's not gone," Rob muttered to himself through clenched teeth as he tried to push back the feelings. "Damn it, he's not gone!"

An almost apologetic wave came through the link and Rob shook himself out of this thoughts. Galen was reaching out to him even as he was trying to hold back from the link. '_Gods. Sorry. I'm sorry, Galen. I don't know why I'm doing this.'_

'_What? Taking a painful stroll down memory lane, Brat?' _Galen asked gently.

'_Yeah, I guess.' _Rob replied and felt warmth flow into him.

'_Gets to us both sometimes, doesn't it.'_

'_Yeah,' _Rob thought as he ran a hand over his face. Talking through the link had stopped the minor tremors that had been running through his body and had gone a long way to calm him. '_Hey, I've found some interesting things here about Flash's amulet. Where are you?' _

Rob shook his head even as he asked. He shouldn't need to be with his brother so badly at that moment, but he just couldn't help it.

'_Talking with Becci. She's still upset about the other night,'_ Galen sent. _'Thought you had eased some of that, but she's just as upset today. Hiding it well but I can feel it. She's better than when I got here and she's kinda frustrated I'm hanging around and worried about her.'_

Rob could feel the affection for Becci through the link and he smiled.

'_I'll bring coffee. Be up in a minute.'_

'_Yeah, ok. Don't let her give you anything but the good stuff,' _Rob said.

'_Course not. It's me, Brat. No way is she giving me anything but high octane.'_

0000000000000

It was almost a half hour later that Galen joined Rob next to his laptop in the kitchen. It had taken his older brother an extra ten minutes to get past the top of the stairs and past where the guitar cases rested on the floor.

Rob had felt his distress, the struggle against the absolute need to play. He wanted to help, but he could feel Galen fighting through the need until he was able to get past the room and into the kitchen. It had been several minutes of touch and go and if need be Rob would have interfered, but he knew his brother was strong enough to break through the need. For now anyway.

"Hey," Galen said with a grin.

Rob looked over at him as his older brother sat down at the table next to him. He was pale, beads of sweat at his temples but his eyes were bright and his smile was almost cocky.

"Hi," Rob said as he took his coffee from him. "Thanks."

"So, what'd you find?" Galen asked as he settled more comfortably on the seat and took a sip of his coffee.

"It has a mate."

Galen choked on his coffee and Rob shook his head at him.

"Either you just figured out you have decaf or this really surprised you," Rob said as he frowned at his sibling. "Really? The fact it has a mate surprises you? Seriously?

Galen wiped his mouth with his sleeve. "Shut it. Becci said it was leaded. Supremely leaded."

"Right."

"So, the amulet has a mate. That's important because..."

"One without the other is bad. Disastrously bad. Together they are good, not harmful and well ... good."

"Eloquent as always, Brat," Galen said.

"We need to find the other one, but we'll need to convince _Alvin_ to hand it over," Rob said.

"Hey, be happy he's not here to hear you call him that," Galen warned, having witnessed Flash's reaction to being called by his first name a couple of times. His friend went from easy going to insanely angry. It was always a startling reaction, even though he'd fought side by side with him several times while they'd been out taking out something evil. But it was always a sight to see in any other circumstances.

"Be happy he's not right here," Rob snarled.

"Rob," Galen said softly. "It's not his fault."

"Galen," Rob growled. "Don't defend him right now. Just drop it."

Galen sighed as he felt a surge of animosity from his brother. He decided it was better to just let it go for the time being. "So what do we do? I mean you kinda sound like you're planning something."

"We need to destroy it. Amulet gone -- problem solved. Really, man, it's not rocket science here," Rob said as he studied the screen.

Galen shook his head. "No. No way. Flash isn't going to give it up. I can feel how attached he is to it already. It reminds him of his aunt, Rob. Look that time in his life was pretty volatile and the time spent with his aunt is one of the most precious memories he has, not that he would ever say that out loud. But I can just feel it when he talks about her or thinks about her."

Rob turned to look at his older brother. "It's a cursed amulet. Of course we're going to take care of it, which in this case is destroying it."

Galen shook his head. He wanted to go back to playing guitar. This was just … too much. He had to let Flash keep the amulet and they needed to play. "No. I won't let that happen."

"Ok. I get that it reminds him of his aunt and that those memories are extremely important to him but this is hurting him. Galen, it's hurting you and you're not even wearing it. We have to destroy it," Rob said and waved a hand in the air. "We'll get him something to replace it. Something not cursed. Something Celtic and something he'd like, but it one has to go."

Galen stood up. "You don't get it. How could you? This doesn't matter to you. Why should it? It's not about you. It's about Flash and me. Something you've been jealous about since you started hunting with me again."

"Galen, wait! It's not like that!" Rob said and watched, feeling stunned as his brother left the room.

He heard a few clicks from the other room and notes carrying back through the door. Rob's head fell to his chest. How could he make his brother see how bad this was when he was too deep to understand?

The amulet should be destroyed, but he knew there was no way he'd get it off of Flash. Sure, he could take Flash, the man was no push over, but Rob had moves he would never expect. As another guitar joined in he knew he'd never be able to take on Flash and Galen and win.

Laughter mixed in with the notes and he knew Rhiannon had closed up shop. Her voice joined in with a chorus and he sank back onto the chair. He had to get more information; he had to find the other amulet. Put them together and maybe Flash would give him the other one without a fight. Maybe.

It took a few hours to find more information. The amulets were supposed to be buried with the remains of the children. The funeral home the boys had been taken to had removed the amulets and the few things the family had wanted with them in their coffins and sold them. They had done this to other families as well. There had been a huge lawsuit with over a hundred families. The funeral home had gone bankrupt and the owner had committed suicide. But it didn't say where the amulets had gone.

He was surprised when he looked up to find his brother sitting down next to him looking contrite. "Rhiannon says I've been a jerk and I should apologize."

Rob's eyebrows rose to his hairline. "Really? I mean it's ok. You're not yourself."

"Yeah," Galen said.

The air was thick around them with discomfort and Rob hesitantly reached out and touched his brother's arm. He felt it. Galen had his gift concentrated on himself on a continual low setting.

"It's helping," Galen said softly. "Used some on Flash, too, but it didn't last. I can't keep it up all the time but I thought I could help for a bit. Do some research or something?"

Rob could feel how badly Galen was struggling. The offer was sincere and he was in need of a break. "Sure. Hungry? I could get Thai or something."

"Thai would be perfect. Thanks, Rob," Galen said and immediately took over where his brother had stopped his research. It didn't last long. His concentration was short and he reread pages over and over. The words were in English, he just couldn't seem to process what they were saying.

He wanted to be out in the living room playing with Flash and Rhiannon. He gave himself a mental shake and forced himself to look at the screen again.

Galen flipped a pencil over his fingers continuously until it clattered onto the table loudly. He picked it up and held it between his index and middle finger. He began tapping out a beat on his thigh and started humming along. The next thing he knew he'd closed down the internet and had a word processing page open. He was typing out words, erasing them, adding more. He reviewed what he had.

"That's terrible. Worst thing I've ever written," he muttered before he closed the page without saving and went into the living room. He talked with Rhiannon and Flash for a minute before he had his guitar in his hands. His fingers slowly and gently picked out a tune as he spoke. Galen only stopped when Rhiannon asked him to.

"The notes are just so sad. Play something light, not so heavy and miserable," she asked quietly.

In truth he didn't even realize he'd been playing at all. He frowned down at his acoustical guitar then over at Flash. Galen shrugged. "I don't know. What do you think?"

Flash blinked at him for a moment before his face lit up with a huge grin and he began to strum out some notes. Galen smiled back and joined.

Rhiannon joined in on the chorus but stopped before the last one. Her attention was focused completely on Rob. He stood on the last step before the living room. His face was pale but his eyes blazed pure anger. His jaw muscles clenched before he shook his head and went into the kitchen.

She got up and followed, not understanding what the problem was. Sure Rob and Galen weren't always thrilled with each other, and she'd been around them long enough to know when there was a problem. They usually kept it to themselves and worked it out in short order. This felt different, though. There was no acknowledgement from Galen that his little brother had returned home. Usually Galen would give Rob a nod or a smile as he continued to play.

This time there hadn't been anything to show Galen had even realized Rob had returned. What was even more curious was that Flash and Galen had started to play what she thought was Dio's 'Last In Line.' She stayed for a minute longer because the version they boys did acoustically was one of her favourites, as was the original song.

It was all she could sit and listen to before she felt the overwhelming need to find out what was wrong with her friends. She got up and went into the kitchen to see Rob had left the boxes of food in their bags on the counter and was back in front of his computer.

"So, you going to tell me what's going on between you two?" Rhiannon asked.

"What?" Rob asked as he turned and looked innocently at her.

"Right. Don't even try. Just tell me," she said as she sat down sideways on the chair so she could look directly at him.

They both turned slightly to the open doorway as Galen and Flash belted out some of the lyrics about evil or divine.

"Honey, I saw that flinch. I can see the frustration and the pain," Rhiannon said gently.

"What are you talking about?" Rob snapped out and immediately looked at her sheepishly.

"Well that and I can see it in your eyes," she said with a slight smile. "Now suppose you let me know why the guys out there are still playing with bleeding fingers?"

Rob nodded and slowly began to tell her everything he'd found so far. He didn't realize how badly this whole thing had been affecting him until he'd finished and felt like the some of the weight had been taken off his shoulders. Before it wouldn't have been a problem. He hunted on his own, dealt with everything on his own, after all his brother and family were dead. But since coming back he'd come to rely heavily on sharing the load with his older brother. Not having Galen to back him up made him feel cold and weirdly naked.

Wearily, he sighed and leaned his arm against the back of the chair.

"Ok, so we destroy it. It's what needs to be one. Then we find the other one and destroy that too. It's simple," Rhiannon said.

Rob shook his head. "Wish it were," he said feeling drained and realized Galen was pulling energy from him to keep playing.

He shook his head. "Rhiannon, can you do something else for me?"

"Sure."

"Can you see if you can trace where this amulet went?" Rob said, showing her the picture of the Queen's amulet. "Need to find where it's gone so we can get it."

"What are you going to do?"

Rob glanced towards where his brother and friend were playing. Phantom pain in his arms and exhaustion was oozing though the link making him feel dizzy and light headed. "I have to take care of them," he said as he stumbled to his feet and went into the living room.

He just stared for a minute. Both of them were bleeding from their fingers and Rob could see them trembling under the strain to keep playing. Rob knew Galen had tried but hadn't researched for more than ten minutes before going back. It meant both men had been playing now for almost three hours straight.

Rob knew he needed to put a stop to it before it was too late. He walked over and stood between them.

"Stop," Rob said sternly as he looked between the two of them.

Remarkably both did. They glanced at him and then back to each other.

"You know, he'd make a good roadie," Flash said.

"Yeah, he would. He's strong and tough. Lugging our equipment shouldn't be an issue." Galen nodded in agreement. "You know we should start playing all over. Start a mini road trip? Maybe a four states in four months?"

Flash nodded. "Yeah. Sound like a good way to do it."

"No," Rob growled.

"No what?" Flash looked up at him in surprise. "You don't want to be our roadie?"

"Or you don't want to go on tour with us?" Galen asked.

A wave of pain and exhaustion hit him so hard Rob actually stumbled back a step.

"Yeah, ok, a four state tour. Seattle, Oregon Idaho."

"Dude, that's only three," Galen said. "Montana or Nevada or California?"

"Cali's too big. Montana's probably more country than us. Nevada. We could hit Vegas."

"Sure," Galen said and adjusted his bloody finger tips back onto the frets. He smiled.

Rob knew Rhiannon was watching from the kitchen. With a deep breath, he beat back the feelings from the link until it was just coming through slightly. A moment later he had his hand over Galen's heart. He was almost slammed with a vision of his brother playing on stage, but he could feel it being pulled back. '_Just rest, Galen. I've got you. Just sleep.'_

'_No. Rob. You don't understand. I gotta keep playing. It's the only thing that's important now.'_

'_You need to rest. You can play when you wake up, ok? I promise,' _Rob said as he nudged Galen into sleep. He leaned his older brother against him as he unstrapped the guitar and leaned it against the table. He eased Galen down onto the couch, being careful of his fingers.

He heard a gasp from Rhiannon's direction but didn't look. Flash was almost done his guitar solo. Rob put his hand over his heart and was assaulted with a picture of Flash on stage performing. He squeezed his eyes shut and focused on putting Flash to sleep. It was harder somehow than with Galen. The surge of adrenaline and the overwhelming need to keep playing seemed to work against him, but he managed to do it. He was surprised to see Rhiannon next to him as she took the guitar off of Flash. Rob's arms were shaking badly as he eased Flash back onto the chair.

A moment later he too was eased down into a chair with the help of Rhiannon. "I'm ok," he murmured. "Just need a minute."

"Alright. But then you're telling me what you've left out."

Rhiannon was sitting on the arm of the chair waiting patiently for Rob to recover enough to tell her what was wrong. His iron grasp on her arm told her how badly this was affecting him. It was more than just the amulet that was affecting Flash.

"The amulet on Flash is affecting Galen," Rob said softly. "They both have to keep playing. They keep saying it's more important than anything."

"Ok. So, Rob, do you think it might be affecting you a bit too?" she asked softly.

Rob shook his head. "Can you take the amulet off Flash?" he asked. He wasn't sure he could handle another hit from him like he'd just had.

"Sure, but you need to let go first."

"What?"

Rhiannon held her wrist up slightly.

Rob blushed. "Oh ... ah ... yeah." And really what was it with him and Rhiannon. The hug earlier and now holding onto her for dear life? As she walked away from him he could see red marks where his fingers had been and he knew bruises would be there shortly.

"It won't come off," she said as she looked over at Rob. "Stay there. It's just a leather cord. I'll get the scissors and cut it off."

Rob nodded and closed his eyes for a minute. He could hear her in the kitchen looking through drawers and heard her come back into the room.

The sound of metal dropping onto hard wood floor made him open his eyes. Rhiannon stood over Flash looking perplexed at the pair of scissors in her hands. Well part of them anyway. Half of the metal was now on the floor.

"I had barely touched it and they just broke," Rhiannon said bewildered.

"How about pulling it over his head?" Rob suggested.

She tried but there wasn't enough give or length to do it. Rhiannon looked back at Rob in alarm. "Just what the hell is going on?"

Rob leaned forward and buried his head in his hands. He had to find the other amulet.

**To be continued.....**


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer**: Characters property of Muffy Morrigan from a book series called Custodes Noctis. Characters used with permission.

**Author's Notes:** Sorry for the delay in getting this posted. Went away for a week and couldn't get onto a server with my laptop to post. I will be posting chapter 7 right after this one and then chapter 8 will follow on Wednesday. I hope you enjoy the following chapters. Please let me know what you think of the story.

Muffy thanks for letting me play with your characters.

* * *

**Talisman**

**Chapter 6**

Rhiannon looked back at Rob in alarm. "Just what the hell is going on?"

"I'm not sure," he said as he sat up and looked at her. "Really, Rhiannon I don't."

"Fine. What's the next step then?"

"I need to find the other amulet. Together they complement each other but apart they aren't good."

"Define not good," Rhiannon said as she straightened up and crossed her arms over her chest.

"Bad?" Rob said with a bit of a smile and shrug.

Rhiannon just looked at him.

Rob deflated and slouched back into the chair. "I don't know how bad it's going to get with them. It could be that this is it and it won't get any worse for them."

"I hear a but in there that you're not saying," she said.

Rob looked up at her. "They could die. It's why I put them to sleep. The amulet that Flash is wearing can make the wearer do something he loves until death. It affects the people they care about most around them. And I can't Rhiannon … I can't…" he looked away and tried to quell the fear that was chilling him inside.

"Hey," Rhiannon said as she sat down on the couch arm. "We won't let that happen."

Rob looked up at her.

Her heat clenched slightly at the fear in his eyes. It reminded her of the strong, terrified little boy she'd met years ago. "We won't," she said firmly.

He took a deep breath. "Ok." He took another, calming himself. "Ok."

"Tell me what you need me to do."

OOOOOOOOOOOOO

Rob settled in for more research on his laptop. He had Rhiannon looking for a match for the amulet that was around Flash's neck on Galen's laptop.

Rob was surprised to find the amulet actually had a bit of a different story. It was still part of a pair and was shown to be over two thousand years old.

The amulets had been hand crafted by a metal smith as a gift for a beloved leader of a clan who reigned as husband and wife. They were very similar to each other, but one had sharper lines in the knot and the other had softer rounder lines that weren't so straight but curled around each other.

It had taken him hours to find that story which made more sense to him than the Viking one. He started when Rhiannon put a hand on his shoulder.

"I'm cutting you off," she said as she sat next to him.

He blinked at her for a minute. "From what?"

"Everything. Go get some rest. It's four in the morning and you haven't moved since you put Flash and Galen back to sleep for the third time."

"I'm fine."

"Honey, you are a long way from fine," she said and held up a hand to stop whatever argument he was going to wage. "You will need to be able to deal with whatever we need to do when the time comes, right? You can't do that if you're asleep on your feet, now can you?"

Rob smiled. "I can try."

She nodded. "Sure, but it's not necessary right now. Go get some rest. I'll wake you as soon as I find something. I promise."

Rob started to shake his head and tell her he was fine but one look at her and he found himself caving. "Alright. But the first thing you find or if Flash and Galen wake up again..."

"I'll be waking you up," she said.

Rhiannon waited for him to shuffle off to his room. She retrieved Galen's laptop from where it was working on a picture recognition program and set it next to Rob's. Then continued working on Rob's research. She sent the lore he'd been looking at to the printer and clicked on the next story, hoping there was something that told them how to remove the amulet from Flash.

She was surprised when Galen's laptop played the opening bars to Jupiter. She blinked at it and realized the screen was flashing.

There was a match.

The page was showing an online estate sale auction. Rhiannon set up an account for herself then read about the family. It turned out the piece was a family heirloom passed down generation to generation from the mother to daughter, and had just been passed down to their oldest daughter at the age of 13. Most believed that it was too old and too precious to wear. But the girl had just received it and wanted to wear it to her birthday dinner. They didn't make it five minutes from their house before the entire family had been killed in an accident. The brakes had failed and they had driven into a river. They had been trapped and drowned.

There was a short bio of the family online. There had been nothing unusual about most of them. But the day the mother had turned thirteen years old she'd had a roller skating accident. She broke her tibia, femur on her right side, her radius and ulna on her left side, deep bruising on her chest, and face. She had required weeks of hospitalization as well as months of rehab.

Rhiannon shook her head in disbelief at what she had read.

The auction started and she found that she wasn't the only one interested in the amulet. The asking price started at $100.00 and by the time it was over Rhiannon knew she needed to do some fancy footwork to come up with the money. The $4500 notwithstanding, she would have paid anything to get all of her friends back to normal.

A whistle over her shoulder jolted her out of her disbelief over the price she owed for the amulet.

"Why didn't you wake me?" Rob asked as he looked from the laptop screen to Rhiannon.

"It's just an auction. I could handle it," she answered.

"True," Rob said softly as he looked over the page. He was surprised she'd not only found the amulet but it was now rightfully theirs. The very thought sent fear spiralling through him.

"It's a lot of money, though."

"I can swing that," Rob said as he motioned Rhiannon out of her chair and took her place. He erased her credit card information and replaced it with his own.

"I love a man with a huge credit line," she said sardonically giving Rob a poke to his ribs.

"Hey!" Rob protested slightly as he flinched back and tried not to laugh.

Rhiannon only smiled as she watched Rob open the delivery page information page of the auction house. He seemed to be a bit more relaxed than a moment ago but still he seemed off and it had nothing to do with the bags under his eyes. She'd know him long enough to know things were worse than he'd mentioned to her earlier.

"Looks like they won't ship. All items have to be picked up, or we have to arrange for a courier so I'll go. I didn't want to trust this to anyone else anyway," he said. "Do we know where they are?"

"They're a good ways off. I looked them up earlier before I opened my account. They're in Waterford, California."

"Google map it for me, will you?" Rob asked as he pulled out his cell phone and dialled the number.

"I have better people skills," Rhiannon said as she pulled the phone away from him and spoke to a person while Rob did his own Google search for directions and a map.

Rob's eyebrows lifted to his hairline and he shook his head. It was going to take him almost thirteen hours to drive there one way. He did his best to quell the fear growing inside of him.

When it was arranged Rhiannon put the number in his address book. "You're good to go."

Rob nodded, sent the directions to the printer and went into his room. He started to put a few things into a bag then just went still. He sat down tiredly on his bed.

"Dad? Uncle Bobby? I could sure use your guidance right now," Rob said shakily. When nothing happened he swallowed and took a ragged breath. "Please," he whispered.

Parry glimmered into sight, sitting next to Rob on his bed. "We're here."

Bobby shimmered just in front of Rob. "We've been aware of what's going on."

"When I get the amulet how will I get back without being hurt? Everyone who has touched this thing has bad things happen to them."

Parry glanced up at Bobby for a moment before he frowned and put a hand over Rob's chest. His frown increased as he sent warm healing light into his son. He smiled as Rob sighed, his shoulders slumped a little and his head bent forward. "Better?"

Rob took a deep breath. The malaise that had been consuming him had drifted away. "Yeah. Thanks," he said as he glanced at his father.

"The amulet is affecting you," Parry said gently. "Rob, your brother, it's not what you're thinking. Not at all."

Rob frowned at him. "I know that."

"But you sometimes feel like Flash is more important to him?"

Rob shook his head. "No, not really. They sometimes have these conversations with unfinished sentences and inside jokes and …"

"You feel left out?" Bobby asked.

"A little," he admitted. "But it stupid. Flash was there for him when I wasn't. They're as close as brothers can be and it's ok because he's had Galen's back when I didn't. I'm usually ok with that."

"But not now?" Parry asked.

"Right now I'm ok with it, but what I was feeling…" Rob's face scrunched up a little as he searched for the right words.

"It was the amulet," Bobby said with a slight shake of his head. "But instead of making you do something you love for hours it's working differently. Playing on insecurities and anxieties."

"Great," Rob muttered. "So, how am I going to do this? I mean I don't want to leave Galen and Flash like this, but I need to pick up the amulet."

Parry smiled at his son. "Not that difficult. Last I checked you weren't a thirteen-year-old girl."

Bobby stifled back a laugh.

"Funny," Rob said with a grimace. "Seriously."

"Few protection sigils wouldn't hurt," Bobby suggested.

Parry nodded. "Maybe a little company as well," he said as he looked at his brother.

OOOOOOOOOOOOO

After Rob had applied the runes, he found he was still reluctant to leave. He knew he had to, and the faster he goes the sooner he'll return. He just had a bad feeling about leaving his big brother in this condition he was in. The bond between them was getting weaker and weaker.

He'd had to put Galen and Flash back to sleep four times for their own protection, but the last time he did that he'd gotten a flash of what they were dreaming. It made him smile in slight agitation and affection. They were both playing together on a huge stage, surrounded by speakers and equipment, and backed by a full concert orchestra. It was like seeing the live version of Metallica playing with the San Francisco Orchestra.

It might have been one of the scariest and enjoyable things at the same time that Rob had ever experienced.

Rob stood next to Galen where he slept on the couch and touched his shoulder. He sent a wave of affection to his brother. "I'll be back and you better still be here."

In return he got a weird blending of notes and chords he couldn't name if his life depended on it.

"He'll be fine," Parry said. "I'll keep watch for you."

Rob took a deep breath as he pulled his hand away. "Yeah. Thanks."

"You'll call if you need anything, you hear me, Rob?" Parry said. "Anything."

"I will, dad," Rob said as he nodded his head.

"Good. Get going," Parry said.

Rob nodded once more. He grabbed his bag from the top of the stairs and without looking back quickly headed downstairs.

"You're letting him go alone?" Rhiannon asked as she came into the room from the kitchen.

"No. Not at all."

"Of course. Bobby?" she asked.

Parry nodded. "He'll have company as soon as he opens the car door," he said with a slight smile.


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer**: Characters property of Muffy Morrigan from a book series called Custodes Noctis. Characters used with permission.

**Author's Notes:** Here is the bonus chapter for this week. Chapter 8 will follow on its usual day on Wednesday. I hope you enjoy the following chapter. Please let me know what you think of the story.

Muffy thanks for letting me play with your characters.

* * *

**Talisman**

**Chapter 7**

Rob eased the jeep round a corner, and then pulled in behind the shop. He put it in park and let his hands fall into his lap. He focused on the back door and wondered if he had enough energy to make it.

"You know this is nice listening to your brother's symphony music and all," Bobby started to say.

"It's Jupiter. One of his favourites," Rob whispered.

"Whatever," Bobby said. "Turn off the car and get upstairs."

Rob looked down at his shaking hands. It had been a blur of road, mile markers and exit ramps. Drive through coffee shops, brief stops at the side of the road and one stop for caffeine pills when coffee had lost all effectiveness. He heard about all the evils of those pills for hours and miles of blacktop because Uncle Bobby had been riding shotgun since he'd started out to get the amulet. Talking to him, at him and even screaming at him when he'd started to doze off. It had scared the absolute crap out of Rob and jolted him awake. It had kept him awake for over an hour until he pulled into a pharmacy and got the pills.

"Rob, you need to," Bobby started to say but got cut off again.

"I know what I need to do. Gods, just give me a minute. I've just driven for almost thirty hours," Rob growled. "Damn construction."

"Ok. Don't fall asleep. I'll be right back."

"Yeah, yeah," Rob said tiredly. He felt conflicted just sitting there. He needed to get upstairs and check on his brother. At the same time, he had an overwhelming fear that it wouldn't be enough, it wouldn't work and his brother was lost to him forever.

"Thinking like that isn't going to get you anywhere, son," Parry said quietly.

Rob jumped, not realizing he'd not been alone or that he was talking out loud. He buried his face in his hands for a second and willed his bolting heart to slow down. "Gods, dad! Don't do that!"

Parry just smiled slightly then turned serious. "Galen is fine. Flash is fine. They're sleeping, but their dreams are wearing them out."

"How?" Rob asked as he turned to look at his father.

"They just are. It's like when they were at the Rat's Nest. In fact, it's almost exactly how you explained it to Bobby when you were there watching the band play," Parry said. "We need to take care of this."

"I don't remember how," Rob said softly as he looked at the back of the store illuminated by the jeeps headlights. "I don't remember what I researched. I... Dad... I"

"Easy, Rob. It's ok. I remember what the research said. We just need to get the amulet you picked up next to the one on Flash. It should allow us to remove it from Flash and then we can deal with them," Parry said, then put a hand over his youngest son's heart.

Rob inhaled sharply as his head fell back to the headrest. Warmth spread through him as his father cleared away the confusion and dread, exhaustion and the shakiness from the caffeine pills. A moment later he sat up and looked at his father. "Thanks."

Parry smiled. "It won't last long. You need sleep and the amulet is having an effect on you. Are you ready to take care of it?"

"Yeah," Rob said and took a final deep breath. He turned off the jeep and headed inside.

He could hear Rhiannon talking as he walked up the stairs. As he reached the top he could see her speaking to Bobby and Parry. For a second he just stood there and looked. Galen and Flash were where he'd left them. Their faces were pale, sweat streamed down their faces, their heads moved slightly back and forth on the pillows. Rob couldn't help but see their fingers were twitching and their breathing was strained.

While he'd been gone IV's had been inserted into the backs of their hands. He watched as Mike checked the bag over his brother, and then put a cloth over Galen's forehead before turning to do the same with Flash.

His brother's face wasn't calm, like it should be in sleep. Instead his lips were pressed tight together and his eyes were clenched together. Galen was in pain, but Rob couldn't feel it.

At the realization, he was stumbling through the room, ignoring Rhiannon, Parry and Bobby. He just needed to connect with his brother for just a moment. Just a reaffirmation that he was there, and could hold on until Rob could finish what he needs to do.

"NO!" Bobby and Parry shouted at the same time.

Rhiannon reached out for him, to stop him from touching Galen. She didn't know why, but the fear in Bobby and Parry's voices jolted her into action.

Rob had barely touched Galen's arm when his body went slack, his eyes rolled back and he fell to the floor.

Suddenly, he was on stage. Both hands gripping a microphone in its stand and he was singing out the gentle tones of one of his favourite Sagas. It was underscored by gentle strokes of an acoustic guitar before the keyboard joined in, then bass and finally drums.

Galen and Flash were singing backup for him in perfect harmony. Rob held his note and let it fade out while they played. Looking around, Rob could see Galen to his right and Flash to his left. He was slammed with their exhaustion while at the same time he was filled with energy from a dark mass of writhing crowd moving and dancing to the music that encompassed them all.

Rob felt forced to sing the next verse before he could look back to Galen. His brother's hands were coated in blood that had soaked into his shirt and his favourite guitar. He locked eyes with him for only a second before he had to sing the next verse, but the look in Galen's eyes were a mix of exhaustion, fear and pain. As the verse ended, he glanced at Flash and saw he was exactly like his brother.

Rob looked back to Galen, he can't seem to move from his spot but he saw the shine on the stage and knew it was slick with blood. He locked eyes with Galen again. He can see Galen pleading for him to make it stop, to help, to do something, _anything._

He wanted to answer him, but Rob can't feel him, can't talk to him through their link. Pain snakes up his arm and he knew its what Flash and Galen were feeling. The ends of their fingers are shredded and blood was continuously oozing out of them and onto their guitars.

Harmony rose around him as he was filled up with misery and agony. His voice wavered slightly as it changed to a melancholy tone and the harmony around him immediately changed to a minor chord to match. The hopelessness of it threatened to overwhelm him as tears slipped down his cheeks.

A moment later, he was back on the floor of the apartment over the Apothecary. Mike was kneeling above him, shining a penlight in his eyes and holding his wrist for a pulse. He could feel the strong presence of Bobby and his father all around him, in his mind, rippling over his skin, warmth in his body, lending him strength.

"Dad, please," he whispered feeling the tears trip down his cheeks. "They're... They're dying."

Parry sat next to him and Bobby appeared on his other side. "Stop fighting us, Rob. Let us help a little."

"Take it easy, Rob," Mike instructed softly. "Just take a moment."

"Mike?"

"Yeah?" Mike answered as he put the penlight in his pocket content to let Bobby and Parry do what they needed to do.

Rob closed his eyes for a minute as he just let the warmth from his father heal him again. He sighed softly as he felt some the malaise drift away and started to feel more like himself.

"That should do it," Parry said. "Rob, open your eyes."

Rob looked at his father. He still felt tired, but it was more than that, he felt worn out, and he wondered what the point was of all of this.

"Get up and take the amulet out of your pocket, and put it next to the one around Flash," Parry said. When he saw the hesitation he shook his head. "Now Rob. Get up now!"

Rob shook his head slightly as if to clear it. He ran a hand over his tear-stained face and forced himself to stand up. He put his hand in his pocket and pulled out the amulet. He traced the loops with one finger then looked at his dad.

"Now," Parry said, seeing the uncertainty in his youngest son's eyes. "Just put it next to the one around Flash's neck. It won't hurt him, it won't do anything bad."

Rob nodded and struggled against the doubt and sadness that seemed to be filling him. He forced his legs to walk the few steps over to his friend. He hesitated slightly again before he pursed his lips and held it out next to the amulet around Flash's neck.

"That's good, Rob. Now see if you can take the amulet off of Flash's neck," Parry said from right beside him.

Rob could hear voices murmuring around him but he couldn't quite focus on what they were saying. The only voice that he could make out fully was his father's but only because he was right beside him and talking directly at him. The soothing voice, the feeling of being protected by him making him focus on his directions and Parry's alone.

With a shaky hand, he pulled the amulet off Flash. Rob stumbled back as Galen and Flash seized upwards, gasping and then collapsing back.

"Oh, Gods, oh, Gods... oh oh Gods... I hurt them! You said I wouldn't! You said!" Rob said as he stumbled back and nearly tripped over the coffee table that had been moved out of the way earlier so Mike could work on his patients.

"Rob! Look at me, only at me!" Parry said as both he and Bobby stood directly in front of him. "Just breathe through it. It'll pass. Give it a minute. Just breathe."

Rob had backed himself into a corner and tried to see around his father and uncle but couldn't. His breathing was fast, too fast, and his heart felt like it was going to explode from his chest.

"I can't ... Galen.... He's not.... Dad, he's not...

"He will be. Give him a bit of time. He's still here, Rob," Parry said quietly. "He will be here when you finish."

"Rhiannon, you need to give us a hand here," Bobby said as he turned to talk to her. "Just don't touch the damn things."

A very pale Rhiannon suddenly filled Rob's sight.

"Hey, you're ok, Rob," she said as she touched his shoulder. "We're going to go downstairs. It won't take long."

"What? Why! I have to stay with Galen."

"Your Dad and Bobby are staying, honey. We're going to take care of these things. Ok?" she asked and when he closed his eyes and shook his head, her lips pursed together. "Hey. We're going to take care of this so you're brother won't be hurting anymore. Get with it here, Rob. I need you with me to help your big brother. Now."

Her quiet but demanding voice made him open his eyes.

"That's better," she said, giving him a slight smile.

"What do we have to do?" he asked softly.

"Your father pointed out a box in the shop. We put the amulets in there. He said you should hide it with a spell and then it needs to be buried somewhere where no one will find it, preferable on shop grounds."

Rob was about to say something when a voice came from the bottom of the stairs.

"Knock knock!" Sarah's voice drifted up as the creak of the stairs told them they were heading up.

Bobby and Parry disappeared from view but Rob could still sense them.

"We brought coffee," Becci said as she got to the top, her hands carrying to-go coffee on trays, as her eyes lingered on Flash and Galen. She cleared her throat and took a large to go cup out of the tray.

"Ok, Mike's got the vanilla late," Sarah said as she took it from her co-worker and handed it to the doctor.

"Thanks. Really need this," Mike said before taking a deep smell of the drink, then taking a long pull off the cup. "Oh, god, that's good."

Becci smiled at him.

"We brought coffees for the guys for when they wake up," Sarah said softly as her eyes were on them. She put the tray with three drinks down on the floor as she sat down next to Flash. "I gotta double shot for Galen and a caramel late for Flash per doc's orders. One for Rob when he gets back."

"Rhiannon had the eight-shot espresso," Becci turned and as she saw Rob, her brow furrowed.

Rhiannon took the coffee and the tray. "Thanks."

Rob struggled to push back the sadness eating away at him as he watched Sarah settle next to Flash. He took a step towards the stairs, but was stopped by Becci wrapping her arms around him. Rob could feel her trembling; feel her fear for his brother, for Flash and for himself. He was confused about why she was so worried about him.

"I'm glad you're back," she whispered just loud enough for him to hear.

Rob found himself tightening his hold around her, giving himself just a moment to hold on. He turned his head slightly into Becci and breathed deep. The smell of coffee and the woman in his arms surprisingly calming and steadying for him. Rob could feel her hope and he did his best to absorb it, to help chase away the gloom inside him.

"Rob and I have to do something downstairs. You girls want to stay up here and keep the guys company?" Rhiannon suggested.

"Sure," Sarah said softly as she put her hand over Flash's.

The next few minutes passed almost like a dream. Rob followed Rhiannon downstairs, put the amulets into the box and mumbled words over it.

"Rob I know you're exhausted and I know how much of a toll this has taken on you. We need just a little bit more."

Slowly Rob raised glazed eyes up to his uncle.

Bobby smiled gently at him. "Never mind. Let me give it a try."

Bobby put his hands above and below the box. He spoke Artesian and then in Latin. There was an odd popping sound in the room. Symbols burned outward from the box in decorative form.

"Wow," Rhiannon murmured appreciatively.

"Still got a few tricks up my sleeve," Bobby said with a grin.

"Where?" Rob said as he looked at his uncle. He was swaying slightly on his feet, blinking rapidly.

"Our boy here is about to turn into a pumpkin," Bobby said to Rhiannon. "I assume they have shovels around here?"

"Yeah. I'll get them. Lead boy wonder here out into the garden. I'll be right there," she said.

Ten minutes later the amulets were buried and hidden. Two minutes after the last bunch of earth had been tapped down a bit of green formed around the patch. Fully formed grass covered the area and matched the small patch around them.

"Works for me," Rhiannon said as she looked at the ground and Rob just stared off into the dark of night.


	8. Chapter 8

Disclaimer: The following story uses characters out of The Legacy in a series called Custodes Noctis. Used with permission.

Author's Notes: Written for Muffy Morrigan's birthday a few months back. The story will also be posted on my live journal site. This is because in coming chapters there will be lyrics that cannot be posted here. I hope you enjoy.

Muffy thanks for letting me play in your sandbox and for betaing your own gift.

* * *

Talisman  
Chapter 8  
by infinite shadow

"That's it?" Rob murmured as he looked at the newly grown grass where the fresh earth had been mere moments ago. He still felt an echo of the sadness and melancholy but those feelings had started to dissipate as the grass grew. Exhaustion seemed to encompass him and he almost staggered from the change. Rob wasn't sure if he could keep his eyes open long enough to lie down.

Bobby chuckled. "Were you wanting fireworks or something?"

"No. It's just kinda anticlimactic is all," Rob mumbled.

"What now?" Rhiannon asked looking from Rob to Bobby. "Cause I'm with Rob. There's usually some light show, or evil to fend off or something. It's never this easy."

Bobby chuckled. "Some days it just is. Now, get this one back inside before he falls asleep on his feet," he said before he disappeared.

Rhiannon glanced over at Rob and saw him swaying slightly where he stood staring at the ground. "Ok. Come on. Let's go."

Rob looked at her as Rhiannon grabbed his bicep and steered him towards the door. After several steps he looked down to where she was holding onto his arm. "Hey, I can walk you know."

"And you're doing just fine," she said, agreeing with him but not letting go.

He sighed and allowed himself to be taken wherever Rhiannon wanted him to go. He liked her, he trusted her and so did Galen. So he closed his eyes and just concentrated on keeping his feet moving.

It took a few minutes to get inside and to the stairs that led up to the apartment.

"You know you're far more coordinated when you're drunk."

"I'm not drunk," Rob said with a shake of his head. He opened his eyes and sighed. "Just a little tired and ... Worn thin."

"That's very true."

Rhiannon managed to help him to the top of the stairs before she let go and stood next to him. He was mostly asleep and everything had taken on an almost dream-like quality. He swayed where he stood as he looked around at everyone.

Becci stood up from where she'd been sitting with Galen and stretched slowly.

Rob watched transfixed as the he saw the paper thin blouse move over the tight dark blue camisole and smooth pale skin. He thought that might be the most intoxicating thing he'd ever seen.

A quiet snort next to him made Rob turn and look at his friend who was trying valiantly not to laugh. "Whaat?" he half-asked half-slurred.

Rhiannon turned to him and gently tapped his cheek. "Young love," she whispered with a twinkle in her eyes before she went over to talk to Mike.

Sarah got up, took her jacket and purse from the floor and started towards Rob. "We're gonna go. I gotta open in a few hours and Bec's my ride. Do you mind?"

"Huh?" was all Rob could muster in reply. What would he mind?

"We're going to leave. Will you be ok if we go?" Becci asked as she walked up to him too.

"Yeah. Sure," Rob said and for some reason he couldn't stop staring at Becci. "Leaving?"

Becci glanced at Sarah. "Maybe we should stay?" she asked softly before looking back at Rob worriedly. She reached up and gently cupped his cheek before running a thumb over the dark bags that hung down under glassy eyes.

"He'll be fine. I'll stay," Rhiannon said, looking over Mike's shoulder.

"I'll be here for a while yet," Mike said, reading his notes on his PDA screen. He had Galen's medical file open, the one that he kept for himself only. A few notes of injuries and reactions to things were left out of his records at the hospital.

"Ok, then," Becci said, a little unsure before she reached up and gave Rob a hug. "Take care of yourself. See you tomorrow?"

"Yeah," Rob said, gently hugging back as he looked at where his brother was sleeping on the couch. "Tomorrow."

Becci let go of him after tightening the hug for a second. She looked at him intently for another moment before looking back at Rhiannon.

"He'll be fine. Just needs some sleep," Rhiannon said. "We'll be here."

Becci nodded before following Sarah down the stairs.

Parry and Bobby shimmered back.

"Stealth mode?" Rob said as he stared at them for a second, then back at his brother.

"As you like to call it," Parry said with an amused smile, and then turned serious. "Rob, Flash and Galen are just sleeping. It's dreamless and it's healing and they will be just fine in a few days."

"But only if you keep Flash away from my dragon collection," Bobby said with mock sternness at Rob.

The youngest Emrys couldn't help it. A smile lit up his pale face and exhausted eyes. A moment later he was laughing.

"Take care son," Parry said as he and Bobby disappeared.

The laugh turned almost hysterical for a minute and Rhiannon shook her head. "Ok. You are definitely done here. Go to bed, Rob."

The laughing stopped abruptly and Rob closed his eyes. His chin hit his chest and he couldn't remember the last time he felt this exhausted. "Yeah... Yeah, ok, but only if you rest too. I can sleep out here," he said, glancing at the floor.

"Nah, I'm ok. I've napped off and on while you were gone. Your father and uncle would have gotten me up if I'd been needed."

"Take Galen's bed or something," Rob mumbled.

"Actually the doc here is taking Galen's bed. He was on a fourteen hour flight to get back here and he's been here for almost five hours. Got rounds in what?" Rhiannon asked as she turned to Mike.

"Four hours," he answered as he entered something into his PDA.

"So, he's gonna get some sleep while he can and so are you," Rhiannon said and held up a hand when Rob started to protest. "Sweetie, you look like death warmed over."

Rob opened his mouth to protest then turned and headed for his room. He toed off his shoes and fell face first into his pillow. He lay there for all of ten seconds before he reached out through his Gift and tried to connect to his brother, but couldn't find him. For all the effort he was putting into it his brother was barely there.

He knew how close he came to losing Galen again and he was filled with such a surge of fear that he was back on his feet and staggering into the living room. He stood for a minute just watching his older brother sleep. Then he knelt on the floor at Galen's side and put a hand on his chest, watching it rise and fall with each deep breath.

Rob didn't even realize he was shaking as he rested his head on Galen's chest. He was ridiculously relieved at the warmth against his cheek and the thu-thump of Galen's heartbeat against his ear as the connection opened. His older brother essence was back where it should have been all along.

'_Galen,' _he whispered, reaching out through the connection.

Rhiannon and Mike shared a look before heading into the kitchen to give the brothers a little privacy.

'_S'oook Rob,' _Galen murmured through their connection. _'M'here. 'M'Jus' sooo tirreed.'_

Rob huffed out an impatient breath and felt his cheeks heat up in embarrassment. He felt tears slip from his eyes and soak into Galen's shirt. He wasn't a child. He shouldn't need to be this close to his older brother to make things feel ok again. He was being absurd. He knew it; he just couldn't stop the tears or the relief at the connection being open again.

'_I'm ok.' _Galen murmured and struggled to lift a hand over Rob's back. _'Shhh. S'ok. 'M here.'_

'_Sorry,'_ Rob said softly through their connection, even though he couldn't seem to stop his tears.

'_Don't be. I can feel your exhaustion. Maybe I can…"_

'_Don't you dare,'_ Rob said as he took a shaky breath and started to sit up.

'_Kay. Rob? Don't…Don't go far, ok?'_

Rob ran a trembling hand over his face and ignored the fresh tears. _'Sure. I'll be here.'_

He could feel Galen's relief until he stood up and the physical connection broke. With a shaky breath he made himself take one step to his left and curled up in the recliner. He made himself watch over his brother for as long as he could keep his eyes open. But it wasn't long before his exhaustion won out and he was asleep.

Parry materialized between the two of them and gently put a hand on each of his sons' heads. Both relaxed even more in sleep making him smiled fondly down from above them. He opened and bridged the bond for both of them so they could sleep. Then Parry sent a little healing power into both of them while he could.

Bobby showed up a moment later next to Flash. "Rob must be exhausted if he didn't realize we hadn't left."

Parry nodded as he watched over his children.

Bobby smiled a little. "So, we stay a bit longer. No harm in that," he said softly. Flash shifted uncomfortably on the sofa and Bobby put a hand on his chest. Flash relaxed instantly going deeper into sleep with Bobby's help.

Bobby looked up and smiled at Parry and shrugged. "Just helping him sleep is all. Clumsy and foolish as he is, your sons seem to like him."

Parry smiled back before returning his attention back to his boys.

0000000000000

Galen and Flash slept almost nonstop for two days. Rob did nothing more than keep watch over them and slept when he couldn't keep his eyes open one second longer. The connection wasn't really working unless Rob was in physical contact with his brother, it made him antsy and worried, and as tired as he was kept him from sleeping.

Rhiannon insisted on running the store for a few days. She had been adamant about it, knowing Rob wasn't really doing all that well, and knew he needed to be as near as possible to his brother. As much as the youngest Emrys denied it, he was detoxing from the brushes with both amulets and needed the down time. She also put food in front of him once a day and insisted he eat, knowing he was having nothing more than coffee.

0000000000000

Galen woke up first, somewhat confused and disoriented. He could feel the absolute pull of being on stage, the need to hold his guitar in his hands, to play in front of a huge crowd, but he wasn't sure why. He loved to play, that was no surprise to anyone who knew him, but it the need to play had never felt like that before.

He felt a little disoriented and exhaustion made his entire body feel heavy and sluggish. He felt like he'd run a marathon from the BC border to the Oregon border and back in an hour. The confusion and disorientation eased a second later when he opened his eyes and saw his younger brother watching him from the recliner.

"Hey," Galen said with a raspy voice.

"Hey, yourself," Rob says quietly.

Galen glanced down at his fingers and got a flash of playing at the Rat's Nest, to playing on a huge stage with a full orchestra behind him. He winced as he tried to swallow and found his mouth and throat bone dry.

"Here," Rob said, handing him a glass of water.

"Thanks," Galen said as he drank down the warmish water. "Huh. Weird couple of days."

Rob merely nodded twice.

"Ok, Brat?" Galen asked as he struggled into a sitting position. He pulled ineffectively at the blanket covering him. It stuck around his waist and legs.

"Yeah," Rob murmured.

"You're lying," Galen said softly as he glanced around the room and saw Flash nearby. "He stay over?"

"Yeah," Rob said quietly. "The short version 'cause I know you don't remember. Flash wore an amulet which made you two want to do nothing more than play guitar which put you into a coma. I took care of it and Flash is totally banned from the store, no discussion _at all_."

Galen blinked at him for a minute, trying to process what Rob was saying and trying to figure out why he couldn't feel what his little brother was feeling.

Rob sighed as he slowly stood up. "Wake me in a few hours. Oh, and we owe Rhiannon huge," he said softly before getting up, stretching and heading for his room.

Galen watched his brother walk away from him. He felt stunned and confused, like he'd started reading a novel half way through. The worst thing was he couldn't sense his brother. "Rob?"

Rob paused.

"Don't shut me out, man. You're upset, I'm not sure why, but don't lock me out, ok?" Galen asked softly.

"I'm not. There's something wrong with the bond. Dad mentioned something about the amulets draining our energy, and that it affected our bond, but it would come back in full after we'd recovered some," Rob said and his face scrunched up as he yawned. "Wake me in a few hours. I'll tell you whatever you don't remember."

Galen watched for a minute, but Rob stayed where he was.

"Galen I..," he started and hesitated. "I'm glad you're awake."

Galen nodded as his brother walked down the hall and out of his sight. From the look on his little brother's face he knew Rob hadn't said what he'd wanted to.

He sighed deeply before he settled back on the couch and stared up at the ceiling. Galen found his mind was a blank aside from the urgent need to play, but that was easily pushed aside to a generally annoying impulse. Kinda like when he had a song stuck in his head and it wouldn't go away until he'd played it on his guitar.

Galen knew whatever had happened it must have something to do with playing the guitar. His fingers, hands and arms hadn't ached this much in years. Not since the first time The Urban Werewolves did a seven day stretch at the Rat's Nest, but why he felt that way he couldn't seem to figure out.

A huge yawn broke out of him without warning and he blinked a few times fighting to stay awake. He sighed, feeling a little frustrated and drained. Taking a deep breath, he closed his eyes, and concentrated. He tried to ease his gift into himself to help but there wasn't much there to pull on.

A quiet quick intake of breath made him open his eyes and look over at Flash. His friend was staring at the ceiling and frowning.

"Flash," Galen said.

In response Flash brought a hand to his forehead. "Dude, did someone slip us something in the beer after we played? I feel like crap," he said before sitting up and looking around in confusion. His gaze settled on Galen and he frowned. "_Dude!_ You look like crap. Where's my guitar? I have this tune in my head I wanna get down."

Galen shook his head with a slight grin and leaned back against the couch and tried to process. He looked up at the almost empty IV bag and shook his head. "Coffee. Then thinking. Then talking. In that order or … or … something," he said then ran his hand over his face.

"No coffee for either one of you," Mike said as he came up the stairs. "Rhiannon let me in."

"Rhiannon?" Galen repeated.

"Yeah, she's taken over the shop downstairs," he said with a smile. "It may never be the same again."

Galen groaned quietly and closed his eyes.

"Good to see you two awake. How are you feeling?"

"Tired," Galen said.

"Crappy," Flash said.

"Confused," they said together.

"Well, I'm not surprised," Mike said. "Been an interesting week or two."

"Mike what happened?" Galen asked softly, feeling for his brother through their connection and getting a soft response of being but nothing solid. Rob was around but he couldn't sense him properly.

"Well, I'm not sure I got all of it so I'm not even going to try to explain. Besides Rob asked me not to," Mike answered. "I just swung by on my way home to check on you."

Galen closed his eyes again. "Do whatever, man, just do it quick so I can go back to sleep, ok?"

"Sure," Mike said seeing the same request on Flash's face. After checking their vitals, and finding them decently improved, Mike removed their IV's.

"Ok, gentlemen. Doctor's orders are as follows. Sleep and rest. Nothing strenuous for a few days. No coffee, no stimulants. Just let your bodies heal up a bit. I'd prefer you didn't leave the apartment or go to work. We need to keep an eye on you two to make sure this, whatever it was, has truly passed. Did I mention no coffee? I mean it," Mike said and held up a finger. "I've already told Rhiannon and the coffee girls. I'll know if you do. Doctors always know."

Both Flash and Galen nodded at each instruction. When Mike finished they both smiled widely, then looked at each other.

"Sure we can do that," Galen said as he turned and looked back at Mike.

Mike narrowed his eyes at them before he threw his hands up. "I will be back. At any time."

Flash snickered.

"Any time," Mike said sternly pointing at Flash to Galen. "Any. Time."

Galen nodded.

Mike smiled at them before finishing packing up and leaving.

A few minutes later Flash shook his head. "Dude, coffee."

Galen just nodded, grabbed the phone and dialled a number.

"Hot Babes Coffee."

"Bec," Galen started to say.

"Galen!" she practically squealed through the line. "You're awake? How are you? Are you ok? How's Flash? Is he awake? Is he ok? Where's Rob? Hold on I've got a customer."

Galen was frowning as he pulled the phone away from his ear and the tinny music that was flowing through the speaker.

"What?" Flash asked.

"I think she's had at least two pots of coffee. She just may be overdosing on the caffeine," Galen said as he put the phone back to his ear.

"Galen? You there?"

"Yeah Bec, I'm still here and I'm ok. Flash is ok. Rob's sleeping. We want coffee. A vanilla late for Flash and a quad for me…."

"Nope. Sorry, no can do. I spoke with Mike when he stopped by for his caramel mochachino. Said no coffee. You two were on the wagon whether you liked it or not."

"Ok, how about decaf," he asked with a wince.

"Nope. Got veto'd by the doc on that one as well. Decaf has caffeine in it too," Becci said in her usual cheery voice.

"We'll do anything, Bec," Galen said then after a slight pause he added, "a_nything_."

"Galen, as much as I'd like to I can't. I promised Mike," she said softly. "Oops. Gotta go. Got a line starting. I'll drop by after shift. Bye."

"The _anything_ card didn't work?" Flash asked. "That's so not fair. We've known her longer than Mike. Why isn't she backing us up?"

"Because she's backing me up," Rob said quietly from behind them.

"God! Don't sneak up on people like that," Flash said, putting a hand over his chest.

"If you're good I'll make you extremely weak coffee later," Rob said and at the looks on their faces he held back a smile. "And you like it and thank me for it."

"We will?" Flash asked.

"We will," Galen said at the same time and gave his little brother a small smile. He concentrated hard, and put all his energy into the small connection he had. '_Brat, come join us._"

Rob sighed and ran a hand over his face. "I need to check on Rhiannon downstairs. You guys ok for a bit?"

'_Rhiannon can handle herself. Tell me what's wrong? What happened, Rob? I can barely feel you and barely hear you. Talk to me._'

Rob sighed from where he was standing and closed his eyes. It bothered him how quiet their link had become. How hard he had to strain to hear or feel his big brother. The only times it worked ok was when he was touching Galen. He didn't know how many times he touched his forehead looking for fever or put a hand over his heart just to make sure it was still beating strong and sure like it should have been. They were partly just excuses to touch his brother to link up with him, to have him in his mind where he should be. He'd tried hard not to, but there were moments he just couldn't stand it anymore and had touched his forehead for fever or used some excuse.

"Or I could just stay with you two for a bit. Make sure you don't play any more guitar for a while," Rob said.

"You can't stop us from playing," Flash said angrily as he sat up. He immediately frowned and sagged slightly.

"It's important," Galen started to say but frowned even as the words came out of his mouth.

"I don't know why I said that," Flash said as he massaged his temples.

"Yeah. This is why you don't leave here. Gotta watch both of you. No more shredded fingers," Rob said as he sat down next to his big brother. Close enough for their shoulders to touch and bring their Gift into full connection.

"Shredded…" Galen said, only to see himself looking down at the strings of his favourite guitar. His flesh was blistered, pieces of flesh hanging from near the tips and pads of his fingers, blood was everywhere, pain shot from his fingers, hands, arms, shoulders and back. "Oh, Gods. My fingers were shredded."

"Yeah, they were, but even then you couldn't stop," Rob said softly. "Neither of you could."

Flash yawned and his hand went to his chest to scratch. He frowned as his hand tapped up below his neck. He sat up. "My amulet. I lost my amulet."

"We took it. It was cursed and would have made you do something you loved until you expired," Rob tried to explain.

"So I chose playing guitar?" Flash asked with a frown.

"Yeah," Rob said.

"Huh."

"What?" Galen asked.

Flash coloured slightly. "Well, I was just thinking. Why wasn't it sex? I _love_ a good night of sex," he said, lifting his eye brows rapidly.

Rob rolled his eyes.

"So, why was I playing? I like to play but it's not the thing I love to do most," Galen said.

Rob shrugged. "I think it may have been Flash's influence. You two playing together? I know how much you love to play on stage. Something in you is set free from the store and our destinies. It's something you two have done for some time together. You've had each others' backs for longer than I've been around," he said before shrugging again.

Galen looked at his little brother. "Playing guitar is…," hesitated then took a breath as he struggled a little, trying to say what he needed to say. "Not more important than our destines, our store, or you."

Rob just shook his head and stopped talking. '_I didn't mean it like that, man._' But he shifted just a little away from Galen and the link quieted.

Galen shifted so their shoulders were touching again. '_Not intentionally, no. But I can feel it._

"Hey you're not alone in here. Hey, I'm here. Remember me? Your old pal Flash? Helloooo."

Rob glanced at him and then to the floor. "There were two amulets. They complemented each other when together. Apart the straight lined Celtic knot drove you do to the thing you most loved until you died. Without its mate anyone else around you either rides out with you or experiences the effects of the other amulet."

"Which was?" Galen prompted when his brother fell silent.

"The other one, the more circular Celtic knot, filled you with dread or sadness or melancholy until you died."

"Oh," Flash said his eyes wide.

"You felt the second one," Galen said. '_Oh gods, Rob. That explains…"_

'_I lost you_'. Rob swallowed heavily and clamped his jaw shut.

'_No, you didn't. I'm right here.'_

Rob nodded and continued to stare at the floor as his jaw muscles jumped.

Flash cleared his throat. "I'm guessing the effects aren't as quickly taken care of as the amulets were?"

Rob nodded. "Few days to a week," he said very softly.

"Gonna be a long week," Galen said as he wrapped his arm over his brother's shoulders. Immediately sadness filled him from Rob. "Not leaving. Neither are you."

Rob immediately felt Galen's exhaustion and his head fell back against his arm. "You need sleep or coffee or both," he said as he closed his eyes.

Flash smiled. "Looks like we're in detox together," he said, finishing with a yawn.

"Hmmmm," Galen responded as his eyes closed and he drifted back to sleep.

To be continued...


	9. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer: **The following story uses characters out of The Legacy in a series from the book series Custodes Noctis. Used with permission.

**Author's Notes: **Written for Muffy Morrigan's birthday a few months back. The story has also been posted on my live journal site due to the lyrics that have been included in previous chapters. I hope you enjoy.

Muffy - thanks for letting me play in your sandbox

* * *

Talisman  
Chapter 9  
by infinite shadow

"Hey Bec," Galen said as he walked up to her window.

She looked from Galen to Flash. "Nope. No way. I told you no coffee."

"Aw, come on, Becci," Flash said quietly as he looked from the ground up to her in the window and caught the inside of his lip between his teeth. "Just a little one?"

"Ok. Stop right there, _Alvin,_" she said and smiled slightly when he cringed. "You so cannot pull off the puppy eyes. That's Rob's specialty. So, you can just stop right now."

Galen slumped against the side of the drive through coffee shack. "Come on, Bec. You know, we could've died."

Flash nodded solemnly. "Yeah. Almost did."

"Right," Becci nodded before putting both hands on her hips. "You two should be ashamed of yourselves."

"Could be, if it worked," Galen said hopefully.

She stared at the two of them for a minute. "Fine. Small ones. Decaf. And if the doctor finds out I'll plead temporary insanity."

"Thanks Bec," Galen said softly with a huge grin.

"Uh huh. You can explain to Rob why you're drinking coffee," she said as she started Flash's latte. "What's Rob having?"

Flash and Galen looked at each other for a second.

"He... uh...," Flash started before he scratched his head and looked away.

"Honestly, you two," Becci said as she shook her head. "I should ban you for life."

"But you won't, right?" Flash asked hopefully.

"No, but I should," she said. "I'll make him his usual."

"Thanks Bec," Galen said sincerely.

0000000000000

Rob woke up on the couch, alone. It was quiet enough that he could hear traffic on the street a few blocks away.

"Galen?" Rob yelled out softly. "You guys still here?"

When there was no response he sat up and a note caught his eye. It was Galen's handwriting, an almost illegible scrawl that rivalled Mike's. He turned it one way and then the other, making out about every third word. It was enough to know that he was fine and gone for coffee. With Flash.

His eyes stuck on their friend's name for a minute. "Of course you're with Flash. Who else would you be with?" he asked the empty room.

It was selfish and part of him was yelling at him for being so stupid. But he felt left out. He'd watched over them for days before they'd woken up. Granted, he'd slept a lot out in the living room as well, but he'd been there for when Galen had woken up.

He shook his head and went into the kitchen. He opened the fridge and poked around the slim contents for something to eat. Not finding anything he closed the door, and leaned back against the edge of the counter. He nearly smiled as he ended up looking at a picture of Galen and Flash that had been stuck on the fridge at some point. Rob recognized where they were. Both men were sweaty and high from a good set on stage at the Rat's Nest. They looked happy, like they knew something no one else knew. Sadly, he shook his head and left the kitchen.

"All those years we were apart. You had Flash. Laughed with him, talked with him, shared your life with him," he murmured. "It's what you should have been doing with me."

Rob swallowed back the lump stuck in his throat. "I'm never going to have that bond you've got with him. Flash was there when I thought you were dead. Roaming around from place to place, fighting on my own, never knowing you were alive. But I should have, shouldn't I. I should have known who sent me gifts on my birthday, should've known when I miraculously healed after that car crash, but I never put it together. So stupid to never even question it."

He ended up in his room and pulled down one of his favourite books. It wasn't a saga but a story he'd read in his youth. He'd loved every word of the story the first time he'd read it. The book had been torn and taped back together. There were worn places and the spine had been completely taped over so it didn't break.

It was one of the only things he kept from his childhood that didn't include his destiny. It was one of the things that he had carried with him when he researched or hunted alone, before Galen had come back into his life. It had kept him company and pulled him through some really rough patches, but he didn't even want to look at it. He didn't want to think about the story or the characters. He'd never admitted to anyone the lead character reminded him so much of Galen that it had hurt--and comforted--when his big brother was gone.

He sighed and put it back into its place on his bookshelf. Running a finger over old leather books he sighed again and moved to the window. He didn't want to feel like this, he hated it. He wanted to feel like himself, but just as before, without Galen with him he never felt like himself.

It was how Flash found him twenty minutes later, arms crossed around his mid section staring morosely out the window. He glanced over to the corner of the room, saw his and Galen's guitar cases sitting there and resisted the urge to rip one open and start to play.

"Hey, kid," Flash said as he walked up to the window and looked out. All he could see was a drizzly day with puddles and clouds decorating the Tacoma landscape. "What'cha lookin at?"

Rob shook his head. "Nothing."

Flash nodded. "Hey, you doing ok?"

"I'm fine Flash. You don't need to check up on me."

Flash smiled a little. "Actually I think I do every once in a while. Now especially," he said as he moved a little and sat down on Rob's bed.

Rob snorted. "I think between you, me and Galen I'm the more responsible one," he said then turned and leaned back against the glass looking at his friend.

"In some ways, in others not so much."

"What does that mean?" Rob demanded.

"Rob, you may not have been here for all that long, but I've gotten to know you a little. Right now, I don't think you know which way is up. You can't feel Galen and it hurts you, but you haven't really talked to him about what you're upset about, have you?"

Rob frowned at him. "Ok. Who are you and what did you do with Flash?"

"Dude, really? You think I don't care?" Flash asked. "I'm hurt."

Rob shook his head and turned to look out the window again. "I know you do. You care about Galen. As if he were your own brother."

"Oh," Flash said softly in realization and his eyebrows rose in surprise. "Oh kid, you've got it all wrong."

"Stop calling me that! Can you… Can you just go away, Flash, please? I'm not in the mood to talk," Rob said.

"I don't think so, on all counts," he said and merely smiled at Rob as he turned to glare at him.

"Kid," Flash said and shrugged. "It's the first name I called you, remember?"

Rob looked down at the floor. He did remember. He'd been released from hospital and had gone from orphan to back to being with his big brother. His whole world felt like it had been on acid and righted itself in seconds.

He'd been talking with Galen, trying to figure things out, taking a long painful walk down memory lane at that point in the Apothecary on their birthday when Flash had come into the store.

"_Hey, what kind of coffee you want this morning?" The shop door banged open and Flash came in. He stopped, looking from Galen to Rob and back again. "Oh my god."_

"_Flash this isn't the best…"_

"_Oh my god, the brother." He took three large steps over to Rob and pulled him into a quick embrace. Galen had to chuckle at the look on his brother's face. "Good to see you, kid," Flash said letting go and slapping Rob on the back. "How'd it happen, Galen?"_

_Galen smiled. "He was in the hospital, Mike called."_

"_You and hospitals, kid. How I saw you last time." Flash smiled at Rob._

It had been that easy. Flash accepted him as a friend right there on the spot. No questions, just a big smile and it had been a genuine easy friendship ever since.

"Yeah," Rob said softly as the ache in his heart eased just a bit. "I remember."

Flash nodded. "Look, Galen told me a bit more about those amulets. I know you're hurting and it can't make it any easier to be up here on your own. Why don't you come downstairs with me? We're hanging out with Rhiannon for a bit."

Rob shook his head.

"Ok, well, you know where we are. Join us if you change your mind," Flash said as he got up. He took one mournful look at the guitar cases and forced himself to walk to the doorway. "Rob?"

He turned to look at his friend.

"I'd never take your brother away from you. Galen would never replace you with anyone else, especially with me. Shouldn't have to tell you that, kid, but I think you need to hear it," Flash said seriously, then smiled. "Got your coffee downstairs. Come join us before it gets cold."

Before Rob could say anything Flash was gone. He turned back to look out the window as he fought back tears of gratitude and relief. Seconds later his chin hit his chest as tears overflowed his eyes and he wept.

0000000000000

Galen hurried up the stairs, taking two at a time his worry pushing him to go faster than he normally would have.

He was willing to give it a little while after Flash had come downstairs after talking to Rob. If his younger brother needed some time alone, he'd give it to him. Galen had planned to give him more time, but the more he waited, the more anxious he got about Rob being alone.

"Rob?" he called out as he got four steps from the top step. There was no answer as he looked around the living room. No sign of his brother either as he popped his head into the kitchen. He was surprised to see one of his favourite pictures of him and Flash on the floor. He turned without picking it up and headed down the hallway towards their bedrooms.

When he turned into Rob's room his heart clenched painfully. His brother was sitting under his window, legs pulled up to his chest and his head down on his knees.

"Rob?" Galen said softly as he walked towards him.

"G'way," he answered. His voice muffled and soft. A sniffle followed right after.

Galen shook his head slightly. He didn't understand why he seemed to be getting better and his brother wasn't. The ache and outright need to play had almost dwindled away to nothing. Ok, well not nothing, but what remained was constantly being soothed by his healing Gift. Each minute it got easier, and now and then, since they'd woken up, he'd been helping out Flash.

The oldest Emrys sat on the floor next to Rob. Before Rob could protest Galen wrapped an arm around him and pulled him against his shoulder.

Galen gasped as he was filled with such a fierce sadness, emptiness and cold that he sent warmth into his little brother. Rob shuddered under the sudden warmth and took a stuttered breath.

"Galen," he whispered.

_'S'ok, Rob. Gods, why didn't you tell Flash to send me up?'_ Galen asked softly through their connection.

'_You were gone. Just like before. Just like...' _Rob took another stuttering breath. _'You died. Just like before. I… I can't… Not again… It's too empty,'_ he stuttered as a shiver made him tense and reach a hand out to grab his brother's shirt. _'Please. Don't go again, Galen, please!'_

'_There's no chance of that, not today. I promise you,' _Galen sent gently through their link. He sent all he could of his Gift into his little brother, but knew it wasn't enough. He leaned his head back against the wall and took a calming breath. "Dad? Bobby?"

Rob started to shake even harder against Galen's side. _'No don't. Don't call them. Please.'_

Galen frowned at his brother's response. He knew he didn't have enough in him to really help his brother. But maybe with a little boost from his father it could be enough to help settle him, take away a little of what was hurting him so badly. _'I'm not letting go, Rob. I promise. This isn't like before.'_

Bobby and Parry shimmered into sight and Parry knelt in down in front of his children.

"It's bad," Galen tried to explain.

Parry just shook his head and gently put a palm over Rob's head.

"NO!" Rob shouted and bolted up to his feet, somehow dragging Galen up with him. "You can't send me back this time," he yelled as he slumped back against the glass.

"Rob, listen to me carefully," Galen said out loud. _'No one is sending you anywhere. I won't allow it. I promise you. You're not going anywhere, and I'm not going anywhere.'_

'_Before,' _Rob whispered through their link and tightened his grip on his brother's t-shirt.

Galen instantly got a picture of Rob, almost hysterical, trying to get away from his foster family. It was the same hospital he'd died in when Rob had been entrusted to his care to bring him home for good. He'd utterly and totally failed when his little brother had been taken and hurt by human monsters then served up in a ritual sacrifice.

The only way they could survive was Galen dying. He never knew how bad Rob had fought to stay with their father and Bobby. How much his heart had been broken that day when Galen had died and what had remained shattered when he'd been taken away from the rest of his surviving family for good.

'_Don't let them take me away from you again!' _Rob pleaded through their connection.

Galen closed his eyes against the onslaught of emotions that were rolling thought his brother. Fear. Anxiety. Panic. Anger. Guilt. Remorse. Shame. Somewhere in there he could feel Rob fighting to claw the emotions back but it had overwhelmed him and he was drowning in the feelings.

'_Rob, please stop. Just listen to me. No one is taking you from here or me. No one. Do you understand?'_

"He's still feeling the effects this badly?" Bobby asked in surprise.

Parry nodded where he stood directly in front of his youngest son. "Rob, let me help you."

"NO! You'll make me sleep again and send me away like last time. You didn't want me," Rob yelled and gasped for a breath as his whole body trembled. "You … We'd failed and you didn't want me around without Galen."

"That's not true," Parry said softly, his eyes wide in surprise. "I sent you away to protect you."

Rob's head tilted down to his chest and yanked on Galen's shirt.

Galen took another deep settling breath before he pulled his younger brother against him in a crushing hug. "Dad, through me, ok? Don't touch him. Don't even try right now. He doesn't understand. Through me, ok?"

Parry nodded and put his hands on Galen's forehead and on his back.

Galen held on tighter as he felt a warm light of the healing enter him and he directed it into his brother's body. He grunted softly as he suddenly felt a wall of resistance.

'_No. Stop. Hurts,' _Rob whimpered.

Galen resisted pulling away. He could feel it. All encompassing pain sliced through Rob and into himself. But he held on for all he was worth until he broke through. He held on tighter as Rob whimpered, his eyes scrunched closed with the pain and his arms went lax around him. Galen could feel the healing push back the darkness surrounding his little brother and lightening it until it was gone.

Parry pulled back and Galen stumbled as his father's healing power eased away from him. "Easy, son."

Galen staggered the few steps to the bed, still holding onto his little brother and gently put Rob down on the bed. Exhaustion threatened to overwhelm him as Galen made sure Rob would be comfortable, then tucked a comforter around him. He sat down next to him, his back against the headboard, is hand over Rob's chest and his legs stretched out in front of him.

"He'll be fine now. You both will," Parry said.

"Don't leave. We have things to sort out," Galen said, fighting back his own exhaustion.

Parry looked at Bobby and nodded. "I know. We won't be far. Get some sleep."

Galen nodded and in moments his breathing was deep and regular.

"I'd hoped he'd forgotten that," Bobby said softly.

"Me too," Parry replied.

"It was for Rob's own good. We had no idea if they'd come after him. His foster parent's place was the safest place he could have been. You know that. You and I set up the charms on the property just after choosing the family weeks before he was born," Bobby said.

Parry nodded and sighed. "Doesn't make it easier now, or then."

"True," Bobby said as he put a hand on his brother's shoulder and they shimmered out of sight.

To be continued.....


	10. Chapter 10

**Disclaimer**: All recognizable characters property of Muffy Morrigan. Used with permission.

**Author's Notes**: Posted early as I have a busy day tomorrow and I didn't want to post late. Written for Muffy's birthday few months back. Thanks for letting me play in your sandbox for a while, my friend.

Also, for those of you who don't know, Muffy's next book has been released. Go search it out on Amazon. It's awesome.

Also I know I'm behind in replying to reviews. Please accept my apologies for that. It's been a trying couple of weeks week and I'll be caught up shortly.

I hope you all enjoy. Let me know what you think.

* * *

**Talisman**

**Chapter 10**

**By infinite shadow**

"Galen, it's been two days, man. Just wake him up or somethin'," Flash murmured from what he'd labeled his corner of the room. He was sitting cross-legged, blanket around his shoulders, pillow and note pad in his lap. He was making scribbles with a pen onto the pad as he hummed and every now and then mumbled to himself.

Galen looked over at his friend, recognizing the signs that he was figuring out a new song. Flash was tired, but looking better than he'd been over the last two days. They were all sporting stubble and had been leaving the room for coffee runs, food or bathroom breaks. He shouldn't have been surprised that Flash refused to leave, but he had been a little.

"He'll wake when he's ready. He's not ready yet," Galen said softly.

"How do you know?" Flash said, frowning at his page, making a scribble and nodding.

"He feels stronger, weak, but not as weak as before," he sighed. "I just know. He'll wake up soon."

"S'what you said yesterday," Flash said as he put down his pen and rubbed at his eyes. "Give him a zap and wake him up."

He shook his head slightly. Flash had no idea he'd been 'zapping' his little brother on and off when he'd felt the pull of depression coming over him in his sleep. It was tiring, but he would do it for days if he knew it was helping. "You know you don't have," Galen started to say but at the frustrated noise that came out of Flash he stopped.

"If you're gonna tell me I don't have to stay I'm gonna have to pop you one in the name of friendship," he said.

Galen snorted softly. "Man, that makes zero sense," he said around a yawn.

"What? Oh, all right, it doesn't. Made sense in my head," Flash murmured as he glanced over his notes, then looked up and met Galen's eyes. "Fine, then let me lay it out for you. I'm not leaving. I may not be his brother, I may not share freaky powers with him, and I may not get everything about him, but he's my friend during the day and my brother on the battlefield of evil. I'm not leaving until I know he's ok. Got it?"

Galen nodded. "Yeah."

Flash smiled at him. "Good. Ok. Now enough of that shit. Coffee run," he said as he glanced over at the clock. "Sarah's just got on."

Galen chuckled. "Alright. Bring back my usual?"

"Sure. Just don't expect me back any time soon," Flash said as he stood up and stretched. "But I will be back."

Galen watched his friend leave the room. He shook his head. Flash was full of surprises sometimes, but others, like just now, were all Flash. It was times like this he was glad they were friends.

He glanced down at his sleeping brother. He'd kept a hand on Rob's chest to keep in contact with him. There'd been flashes of dreams and moments of blankness when he slept without dreaming.

The room shimmered, as if in a mirage. Galen could feel his father and uncle in the room but they'd stayed back a bit. "Dad? Bobby?"

"We're here," Parry said as he shimmered into view, Bobby right along with him.

"Dad, I need to sleep. But I … Rob…"

"We'll watch. Get some rest, son," Parry said.

"Don't worry so much, Galen. Rob just wore himself out trying to solve the amulet problem. He's catching up," Bobby said as he came over to the bed. "Sleep for a bit. Even if you just drift. We'll keep watch."

"But," Galen said even as his eyes burned slightly and his body yearned for sleep.

"But nothing. Rest. If Rob so much as twitches, we'll wake you up," Parry said. "You've got my word."

His voice washed over Galen giving him a reassurance he hadn't felt in a while. He ran a hand over his face, and sighed heavily before he allowed his head to fall back against the headboard and closed his eyes falling asleep in seconds.

"How long was he awake for?" Bobby asked as he looked down on Galen's pale face.

"Almost fifteen hours with an hour nap and five hours before that," Parry said, worry clear in his voice.

Bobby shook his head and laughed slightly.

"What?" Parry asked as he frowned at his brother.

"They remind me so much of us when we were younger. Remember that purple stone?" Bobby asked.

Parry shook his head slightly. "How could I forget? That thing started sucking the life out of you slowly the minute you touched it."

Bobby laughed softly. "Never saw you so freaked before when I finally woke up."

"Yeah, well, you were out for five days," Parry said softly. "It felt like forever and I started to think you weren't going to wake up."

"You never did tell me how you fixed it."

"Nope, I didn't." Parry was quiet for a few minutes but turned and looked at the open doorway. Footsteps are heard coming up a few seconds later.

"That's not Flash," Bobby said softly then relaxed. "Mike."

Parry nodded having already figured it out. "He said he'd be back after his rounds this morning."

"Hey," Mike said as he gave the men a slight smile. "Just stopped by to check on my favorite patients."

0000000000000

Rob glanced around his bedroom. His backpack with his completed homework waited for Monday morning next to his desk. His other books, studies dictated by his dad through his foster father, were stacked on his desk. The bookshelf with trophies and toys on top, gave odd shadows with the flashlights and even though his window was closed the curtains were moving slightly.

"Hey," Galen said from where he was stretched out in his sleeping bag. "Are you listening to me?"

"Course I am," Rob said then frowned. "Just didn't hear you."

"Yeah right," Galen said with a grin. "I asked if you were coming this summer or if you were going somewhere with your foster folks."

"They haven't said. I wanna be with you and Dad and Uncle Bobby this summer. Do you think they'll let me come up? For the whole summer?" Rob asked quietly. He really did want to be with his family. He felt he was old enough to travel by himself too, no matter what his foster mother said about having to wait until he was at least ten. Next year was too long to wait for that.

"Of course they'll let you," Galen said with a grin. "They let me."

Rob glanced at the walls as another heavy gust of wind hit the house. He shivered even though he was warm under his blankets.

"Can't you stay longer?" Rob asked.

"I'd like to but dad and Uncle Bobby will be back in the morning. They're picking me up on the way back to Tacoma," Galen said regretfully.

Rob glanced at the window again as heavy rain started pelting against the pane. He snuggled further down into the blankets leaving his flashlight on his bed and put his hands behind his head as he stared up at the ceiling mirroring his older brother's pose.

"We're gonna have to sleep sometime," Rob pointed out softly, knowing there was no way he'd sleep through the gale force winds and thunder and lightning happening outside. But Galen didn't have to know that.

"Nah, I can always sleep in the car," Galen said easily. "Why don't you tell me about school? You haven't told me anything about your friends, teachers or classes."

"They're ok," Rob said softly as he glanced at his radio alarm clock. It was just short of three in the morning. He was hoping Galen would fall asleep. He didn't want him to know how scared he was of the storm outside.

A bright flash lit up the room for a second before it got even brighter then the room was blanketed in darkness again. A quiet buzzing sound filled the room as the red numbers from the clock slowly died out.

"Wow, that must of hit something close. Want to go check it out?" Galen asked, even as he was sitting up. "Rob?"

When he got no response he grabbed his flashlight from where it had rolled off his sleeping bag and moved the beam over to his little brother. Rob was curled up awkwardly by the headboard, his knees pressed firmly to his chest, his arms curled around them and his forehead rested on his knees.

"Hey, it's ok," Galen said as he sat on the bed next to his brother. He put an arm around him and immediately he was filled with panic and fear. Galen took a breath to center himself before focusing his Gift into his Rob just like his father had been teaching him. "It's ok. Just a storm. I'm here. It'll be ok."

Galen just sat there, concentrating on easing the Gift into Rob, not too fast, not too much. He looked up as Rob's foster father stepped into the room shining a light on both of them.

He smiled at Galen. _Ok?_ He mouthed as Galen moved his light towards him.

Galen smiled back and nodded. _We're ok_ he mouthed back.

Rob's foster father nodded and left.

A few minutes later Rob had relaxed enough to stretch his legs back under the covers and was leaning against his brother a little. He blinked slowly. "It's changed," he whispered.

"What's changed?" Galen asked.

Rob held his hand out just above Galen's chest. He moved his hand back and forth as if running his hand through running water. "You used to be a light blue and now it's gone more silvery," Rob said softly.

Galen frowned and looked down. He tried to focus on Rob's face and could see through his flashlight beam that his eyes look unfocused. Not like they usually looked.

"What are you talking about, Rob? You're not making much sense man."

"Almost everyone has colours. They shift and change slightly but everyone has 'em. Yours is different. I see it... different. I can kinda feel it," he said and sighed as he put his hand down.

"Rob."

"Dad said I could see like Uncle Bobby and he said it was a big secret. I'm not allowed to talk about it to people except father, mother, you, dad and Uncle Bobby. No one else would understand. And it was early but part of who I'm going to be."

Galen felt a shiver run through Rob and he tightened his hold a little. "You don't like it?"

Rob shrugged. "I don't see it on everyone. Not really. Sometimes they just look ... smudged and ... unfocused. Yours is the brightest and the only one I can feel like this, with my hands. I tried with dad and Uncle Bobby but I can only see it... It has no... no... feeling?" Rob shook his head and cleared his throat. "Dad's and Uncle Bobby's are the brightest after yours. Then most others, but they're really soft in comparison or they are blurred with no colour," he sighed. "That doesn't make sense does it?"

Rob shifted to look up at Galen and put a hand over his heart. He closed his eyes for a second and concentrated hard on some memories of his friends. He opened his eyes and looked directly into his brother's eyes. '_Can you see?' _he asked very softly through their link as he tried to focus pictures of friends, his ball coach and his foster family to his brother.

Galen gasped slightly not expecting the sudden images in his mind. He saw people with muted colours around them, greens, purples, reds and some even black. But they were faded colours as if it were material that had been washed so many times it was wearing out.

"Is... Is this how you see?" Galen asked as he frowned down at Rob in surprise.

Rob nodded and forced the images away. The tone in his big brother's voice made him feel like a freak.

The room lit up for a brief second and thunder rattled the windows.

Rob buried his face against his brother's chest. He couldn't help himself. '_Freak and a wuss. I'll never be a Keeper at this rate,' _he thought, but forgot his hand was still over his brother's heart, making his thoughts 'hearable' through the link.

"Not true, Rob," Galen said aloud softly._ 'Storms can be scary and maybe someday you'll tell me why they scare you so much.'_

They sat that way for quite a while and soon, even with the storm raging outside, Rob started to drift towards sleep. Galen gently shifted and moved Rob so he was lying down. Galen shivered as a strong gust of wind shook the house. He took a breathed deep as he centered himself and focused on Rob instead of the storm outside.

Rob murmured something Galen couldn't make out.

"I'm here," Galen said gently as he put a hand on his little brother's chest. "Sleep, Rob. I'm here."

Rob sighed sleepily and put his smaller hand over Galen's and froze. The hands were pretty much the same size.

Cautiously, he opened his eyes and saw the ceiling of his room over the Apothecary. As his gaze shifted slowly he saw Galen sitting over him, just like in his dream, or memory from when he was a child. He never felt as protected and safe as he did when his brother came to visit. He never got into that much mischief either, which is why he always looked forward to seeing him.

He sighed and shifted to look outside. Rob wasn't in a hurry to move, the warmth from the contact of his brother's hand keeping him mostly still. He could feel worry and affection through the link even though Galen was asleep. He could feel something else in the room, a presence that he couldn't place.

He ignored it, and chalked it up to how tired he felt at the moment.

"Hey."

Rob glanced over to the doorway and saw Flash standing there.

"He wakes! Finally. Gawd, I thought you were going to sleep forever, dude. Which case I would have woken you up myself," he said with a big cheesy grin and put a tray of coffee down on the night table. "Coffee for my boys."

Rob's eyebrows rose to his hairline. "Your boys?"

"Part movie reference to some obscure thing he watched as some point," Galen said as he woke enough to speak but hadn't opened his eyes. "Part Flash. Weird combo."

"True. On the weird part," Rob said with a slight grin. He pushed himself up to a sitting position and leaned back against the headboard.

"Last time I deliver coffee to you two grumpy pants," Flash grumbled good-naturedly. Secretly, he was just relieved Rob had opened his eyes and was giving him a bad time.

'_Don't let him fool you, Brat. Flash here refused to leave you alone,' _Galen said_._

'_Really?' _Rob answered back.

Galen frowned slightly at the surprise he felt, but felt Rob's surprise start to change.

"And Sarah wasn't on so I had to endure rapid fire questions from Becci," Flash said and cleared his throat. When he spoke again his normal voice was several pitches higher. "Oh my god! Flash! How are you? Are you ok? How's Galen and Rob? Where are they? Why are you here alone? Does Rhiannon know you're out here? Oh, wait, I have a customer. Don't go anywhere."

Galen smiled at his friend's antics, but even more at the amusement flowing through the connection with his little brother.

"Over an hour of that! I swear that girl downs buckets of espresso just before she starts her day," Flash said, finally winding down. "Torture, pure torture. I think I have a headache. And I took it for you two losers."

"Awww, Flash, you know you liked every minute of it," Rob teased.

"Maybe."

Galen smiled and finally cracked his eyes open.

"Where's Rhiannon?" Rob asked softly as he looked around the room. "Wasn't she here?"

"Workin' the store. She insisted. I tried to talk her out of it but got nowhere," Flash said with a roll of his eyes. "You know how she is. Makes a decision and here's no talking her out of it."

"What?"

"Do you not remember the blue, silver and purple hair? Or the 'I wanna paint my walls black with white and green highlights', or what about the time she decided we needed more in our lives... Gentlemen, do I need to continue?"

"Um, no."

Galen laughed. "I thought we swore to never discuss that evening. Ever. Again."

"I rest my case."

"Yeah, please. Shut up. Seriously man," Rob groaned. He woke severely hung over and sporting a tattoo of a naked man on his arm. Thank all the gods in the heaven it was a really good temporary tattoo, which reminded Rob that he needed to get even with Flash. Very, very badly.

Next to him Galen suddenly burst out laughing. "Oh, man, I'm sorry. Sorry!" he exclaimed as he tried to get himself under control.

Rob looked at him sideways. "What?"

Flash was staring at him too. "Hey, unfair. At least share the source of your merriment."

Rob got another look at his manly tattoo from his brother. '_Sorry, Brat, I am but I had totally forgotten about that. Really. We'll figure out the payback later.'_

Rob sighed. "It's nothing. Really, Flash, it's nothing," he said, smiling back at him.

Flash frowned at him before curling up with his coffee in his corner of the room and picked up his note pad again. "Whatever, freaks," he said with the slightest of smiles.

To be continued.....


	11. Chapter 11

**Disclaimer: **All recognizable characters property of Muffy Morrigan. Used with permission.

**Author's Notes**: Written for Muffy's birthday few months back. Thanks for letting me play in your sandbox for a while, my friend.

* * *

**Talisman**

**Chapter 11**

**By infinite shadow**

Rob slowly pulled a sweater over his head. He knew it was warm, but there had been too many moments of chills for him not to wear it. He'd take the too warm moments over the _oh gods, it's freaking freezing_ in here moments.

The air seemed to shift then shimmer as Parry came into view.

"I was wondering if you were still here," Rob said softly as he pushed the heavy knitted sleeves up to his elbows, crossed his arms and leaned back against the wall.

"We have some things to talk about," Parry said.

Rob shook his head slightly. "Nah. We're good," he said, trying to remain calm as he felt anger slowly begin to burn inside.

"Rob," Parry said as he smiled slightly. "I wish I didn't have to choose between you two when you were younger. You were gone before you'd even had the chance to be here."

"Look, dad, I understood, I did, well, not right away but I did later. Sure, it hurt," he said with an indifferent shrug. "Got over it."

"No." Parry frowned. "I don't think you did."

Rob paled slightly. He couldn't do this. "Don't," he said flatly as his stomach fluttered uneasily.

"We need to, son," Parry said softly.

"I really need a coffee," Rob said flatly as he pushed up from the wall. He really didn't want to deal with this now, or ever. Never would be perfect.

"Don't walk away from me, son. Please, give me a moment, let me try to explain."

Rob froze at his father's pleading tone and closed his eyes, trying to hold onto his tenuous control of his emotions. Suddenly the anger flared and shot sharply into fury. He spun around, Rob's eyes blazing as he glared at his father.

OOOOOOOOOOOOO

"Flash! Oh, man, I hate you so much right now!" Galen exclaimed as a hot blush rose from his neck all the way up his face. He tried to stay serious, but burst out laughing seconds later. "Dude! You swore to never, ever, on pain of death tell that story to anyone!"

"Well, yeah, but this is different. I just told Rhiannon," Flash said with a smirk, his eyes twinkling as he glanced over at the woman behind the counter. "And she is certainly not just anyone."

"Yeah," she said with a shrug. "Well it's just a bit more to add to the fodder to torment you with now and again." She took a moment to just look at Galen. He looked so much better than he had a few days ago. The bags under his eyes were still there, but his colour had returned nicely and he was laughing so hard that a few laugh lines crinkled around his eyes.

Flash and Rhiannon tensed as Galen suddenly froze, paled sharply, and moaned softly as he reached a hand to his head.

"Galen!" Flash yelled as he surged forward to grab him as his friend swayed and staggered back a step.

"Whoa," Galen muttered. Closing his eyes he took in a sharp breath. He leaned towards his friend, allowing Flash to help steady him when he realized his legs felt like jelly.

"What's wrong?" Flash asked softly, refusing to let his friend go. All sign of merriment was gone off his face, making him look as haggard as he felt.

"I… just … give me a sec," Galen said as he carefully let go a breath. His system jolted as another burst of anger flowed directly into him. He was barely aware of his surroundings through the assault of emotions but could feel Rhiannon was now one of his sides with a firm hold on him. His head fell down to his chest as his friends guided him behind the counter to sit down.

They kept their hands on him and their concern made it almost too much. "Let go, please," Galen said softly. He could feel their concern coming off them in waves and it was mixing with the all-out fury … and mind numbing fear coming from Rob through their Gift.

Galen took a deep steadying breath. As much as he hated to do so he closed down the link slightly so he could get control of himself. _'Rob, what's wrong?'_

Flash and Rhiannon both looked at the curtain that led to the steps into the apartment. Rhiannon looked back at him with the question clear on her face as to whether to go upstairs or not. Flash frowned and considered it for a second, but shook his head. If Galen made the slightest move towards the back he would be upstairs in a second.

OOOOOOOOOOOOO

'_Rob? What's wrong?'_

The anger flared sharply as he glared at his dad. His cheek muscles jumped as he ground his teeth together, trying to rein in some control. Explain? His father wanted to explain? "Nothing to explain. Really, dad. It was nothing," he said with a calm he didn't feel. He was breathing heavily, his shoulders going up and down with each breath as he tried to hold down his temper.

"Rob," Parry tried again.

'_Rob?'_ Galen said at the same time Parry did.

'_I'm fine. G'way, Galen,_' he snapped heatedly through their link.

"It's not nothing, son," Parry tried again.

'_Dude, you tell me what's wrong! If you don't I'm coming up. Without your coffee,' _Galen said.

'_I'm fine! Shut up for a minute,'_ Rob sent back then forced himself to take a breath. _'Sorry man. Just... Give me a few, ok? Really I'm alright just need a few minutes_."

'_Five minutes or I'm coming up.'_

'_Yeah, yeah.'_

Rob took another breath before he turned back angrily to his father. "Look, its fine. I've dealt with it. Sure, it hurt. Galen was dead and with the link severed I felt like I didn't belong in my own skin. My father who I'd never needed more in my life sent me away and didn't want me. When I called, sure you'd talk to me for all of two minutes before you were gone again. Why should that have hurt me?"

"Rob," Parry said stricken, each word a blow against him he felt with all of his son's anger.

"No, I got it. Without Galen I was nothing," Rob said before he sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "I got it loud and clear. I was useless, which truly I believed for a long while."

Parry gasped.

"Figured it out, eventually, that I was wrong and I could still be useful as a scholar. My grades had dropped, but I worked hard to pull them back up. Soon as I graduated high school I was gone, didn't want to continue to be a burden for my foster parents. I mean the deal was to keep me till I was of age to start training. Stayed years past my welcome."

"Rob, they didn't mind. They loved you like you were their own son."

He nodded. "Yeah, they did, but I wasn't theirs, I was yours. I've kept in touch with them, still do," Rob said quietly.

Parry's eyes were shining with unshed tears as he fought to keep control. "Do you think it was easy? To just let you go like that?"

"Wasn't it?" Rob asked quietly the anger suddenly gone, making him feel exhausted. He didn't want to do this. He really just wanted to be left alone.

"Gods, NO!" Parry yelled then pulled back on his anger as he watched his younger son flinch. He took a steadying breath, taking that moment to study his son. He was still pale with dark bags under his eyes. His shoulders were hunched and his eyes looked empty. Parry cleared his throat. "Rob, you needed to be protected. I wasn't sure Bobby and I would be enough. The house you grew up in was protected in every way possible and then some. I didn't know if the evil would come back after you. Severing your connection with Galen was the only way to hide you. They would always know where Galen was."

"The scar," Rob said softly as he looked up.

"Yeah. Severing the bond, Galen dying, was the only way to keep you safe and alive. Gods, I never wanted to let you go, but I didn't have a choice."

Rob snorted. "Sure, you did. The choices just sucked."

"Son, if I thought, dreamed, there could've been a chance of keeping you with me, and safe, I would have never let you out of my sight."

Rob swallowed heavily and smiled weakly. He'd been ignoring Galen's constant talking at him, demanding to know if he was ok. _'Yeah, I'm ok. I'm talking with dad.'_

'_Oh?'_

'_Yeah. Just gimme a few.'_

'_You sure?'_

'_Yes, mom.'_

Rob could feel the anxiety ease through their link and an added feel of wry amusement. He cleared his throat. "Wish I'd known that when I was a kid, but it helps, dad. It really does."

Parry nodded sadly. He knew his youngest son spoke the truth but no matter what he said it was a hurt in him that couldn't be totally taken away.

OOOOOOOOOOOOO

Several hours later the Apothecary had been closed. Parry and Bobby were gone until the next time they were called. Rhiannon and Flash had gone home.

Rob was lying down on the couch in the living room watching a documentary on Ireland.

"Hey, make some room," Galen said.

Slowly Rob sat up and glanced up at his brother. "Where'd you go?" He asked as he took the beer Galen was holding out to him.

"Took Flash home," Galen said.

"Was that a wise choice?"

"Yeah. I think the worst was over for us yesterday. I can look at my guitar, and as much as I want to play a little, mess around with chords and stuff, it's just as easy to walk away. Same goes for Flash. All the same, we kept his guitar for now," Galen said with an easy smile as he sat down next to his brother. "So, what are we watching?"

Rob sighed as he twisted the cap off his bottle. "Not sure. I mean its Ireland but I haven't been paying attention."

Galen nodded as he took a pull of his beer and waited for his little brother to do the same. "So. What happened with dad?"

Rob picked at the corner of the label on his beer. "Nothin'. Just cleared the air a bit."

"Dude, if that was just clearing the air a little you need to do it more often," Galen said, then bumped his brother's shoulder with his own.

"Shut up," Rob sent back half-heartedly.

Galen smiled sadly. Rob didn't know that some of the conversation had filtered through to him when he'd been so angry. It came through as if he'd been in the room with his brother at the time. _'It wasn't just, dad, Brat.'_

Rob stilled for a moment before he turned to look at his brother. "What?" he whispered.

Galen sighed. His kid brother really had no idea. The shock and surprise and vibrated sharply through their link told him that. And he wasn't sure his little brother was ready to hear what he had to say, but Rob needed to know. He owed him that much.

"It actually wasn't dad's idea. Or Uncle Bobby's, for that matter," Galen started, then paused not sure if he could keep talking.

"What? No," Rob said as his head shook in denial and his eyes widened in shock. "No. You wouldn't, couldn't have."

"Yeah, well," Galen said softly, then took another long pull off his beer. His eyes were unfocused, as he thought back to that day in the hospital. "I did it when Dad and Bobby weren't in the room. I did it without really telling them anything. I just did it."

"Why?"

"You told me we wouldn't serve as Keepers together. I knew that I had the power to save you, to keep you alive and safe. I wanted you to have a life, to live, to … I don't know what, I really just wanted you safe," Galen whispered, then sighed as he rubbed at his eyes. "I never thought dad would actually bring me back. It didn't even occur to me."

Rob shook his head. "You did it? Not dad?"

Galen nodded. "Yeah," he said as he sighed.

"But… I always thought… I mean," Rob shook his head again, not able to get the words out.

"We couldn't tell you. Gods. It was so hard and yet easy to stay away. I wanted to see you, to talk to you, to be with you. But keeping away kept you safe. Except for the one time. I had to bring you back after the accident. I couldn't stay away," Galen said, then leaned his head back onto the curve of the back of the couch. "Your anger with dad is misplaced. It should have always been directed at me."

Rob was silent as he digested the information. He was stunned. He didn't know what to say, what to do. He felt like he needed to get out of their apartment but he couldn't seem to move.

'_I couldn't not do it, Brat. I needed for you to live, even if it meant I died.'_

"Gods," Rob whispered and ran a hand over his face. "Galen… I don't… I need…" He stopped again. He had no idea what he needed. He was shaking badly.

'_I'm not sorry,' _Galen told him gently. '_I'd do it again in a second if it would save you. Rob, you have to know that. I don't regret dying. I regret not being in your life all those years. I'm sorry it's hurting you so much.'_

Rob leaned forward and rested his head in his hands. A moment later he was pulled back against his brother's side.

He could feel his little brother shaking, the surprise of the information hitting him hard. Galen put an arm over his shoulder, trying to give him a little comfort, even if his words never would. "Take it easy, Rob. I'm not planning on doing that again. It hurt me too, but I had to. I wish you would understand."

"Why?" he whispered.

Galen was quiet for a moment. He had to make sure this came out right. They had been through a lot in the last few days, and Rob was at a point where he was doing better, but really couldn't take much more.

"Galen, why?" Rob asked again.

"At the time I … Gods, Rob, I knew from our conversations that we'd never serve together. You had seen that. And I'd be lying if I said I wasn't afraid of what it would be like being a Keeper. There was talk of the Legacy and all of it seemed so monumental, so overwhelming…," Galen sighed and shook his head. "This isn't coming out right at all."

"You were afraid," Rob said after a minute. "I was too."

"I couldn't be a Keeper and even if I wanted to be just a normal person, which wasn't possible either," Galen admitted. "It seemed like the only solution."

"Dying," Rob said. _'Leaving me.'_

"Yeah," Galen said softly around the heavy lump in his throat.

Rob felt numb. All he could do was sit there and breathe. Galen hadn't wanted the job, to meet their destiny. On one hand being a Keeper was overwhelming at times. It could be fun too, but it wasn't easy.

Galen had been a few days shy of his eighteenth birthday when he'd gone to pick up Rob, who was going to turn thirteen, both on Halloween. Knowing his big brother as well as he did, Galen had taken on Rob as a responsibility as well as both of their training.

But Galen couldn't be a Keeper because of what Rob had seen and he'd been afraid. Was it just an easy way out? Dying for a few moments, breaking the bond, their connection, before being brought back? Then end up fighting evil anyway?

After a few minutes, Rob found he did understand and the bottom line was Galen had given him up so he could live. Afraid or not he'd made the decision on how much he'd loved his little brother, enough to give his life for. He blinked at the far wall as he came to another realization.

He turned slowly as his eyes narrowed. "You didn't want dad to bring you back, did you?"

Galen worried his bottom lip between his teeth before answering. "No. If I had stayed dead you would have been in no danger from the evil that tried to take you before. I should've stayed dead. But it was also the reason dad had to keep you at arm's length. I was living here. If you had showed up it would have all been for nothing. You can't stay angry with him, Rob. It wasn't his doing."

"I'll think about it." Rob sighed wearily. "Gods, Galen."

Galen just nodded knowing it was all his brother was ready to give him. He could feel the shock of the information beginning to settle in his brother. Whether it was good or bad was yet to be decided.

Rob sat up and glared at his brother. "Never again, though. You hear me. Never. Again."

"Rob," Galen said as he felt anger and fear and confusion stemming off his brother in crashing waves.

Rob shook his head. "Never again. Say it!"

"Never again," Galen said with a sigh.

Rob nodded. "Good. Ok," he said and stood up. He headed down the hall to his room and closed the door quietly behind him.

"Well that went so well," Galen muttered to himself as he stared up at the ceiling. Then downed the rest of his beer in one go.


	12. Chapter 12

**Disclaimer: **Characters out of a books series called Custodes Noctis. Book one – The Legacy and now available Book Two – The Hunt. Characters used with permission.

**Author's Notes:** This story was written for Muffy's birthday last September. Funny how it's the end of March and I'm not done posting yet. Almost there folks. Epilogue to follow next week. Thanks Muffy for letting me play with your universe. I promise that when this is all over you can have them back... ok maybe all but Flash, I may have to keep him. The klutzes of this world need to stick together.

Let me know what you think.

* * *

**Talisman  
Chapter 12**

The next morning Galen woke up knowing something was wrong. The apartment was deathly still, no movement whatsoever. Not even the usual dust that could be seen floating in the morning sun rays seemed to be there. It wasn't totally odd that Rob wasn't there. After all, he wasn't his little brother's keeper and he did have a life. But after the last crazy days, it worried him that his little brother wasn't around.

He puttered around knowing there was time before he had to open the store. Galen tidied up and pointedly ignored his guitar. He wanted to give it a few more days before he gave in to his need to play.

Taking a handful of dirty dishes into the kitchen, he spotted the note on the kitchen counter. A feeling of dread spread over him as he picked it up.

_Hey. I need a bit of space and time. Don't worry. I'm not angry and I will be ok. I'll check in now and then._

_Rob_

The words changed dread into full blown fear in his belly, but knew he needed to give Rob this. He was tempted to open the link to connect with Rob to make sure he was ok, but his brother had needed space and he would respect that, for a few hours anyway.

With a tired sigh, he went for a quick shower. He had a store to open in a few minutes.

0000000000000

Rob rubbed his fingers over his eyes for a moment while he waited at the drive-thru window. He glanced at the clock in the car and knew his brother would have been up by now and found his note.

He felt a bit guilty for leaving without talking to Galen first, but the apartment seemed to be closing in on him and he'd just had to leave. He'd quashed the feeling long enough to put a few clothes into a bag and write his brother a note. Then he was gone.

Rob planned to just drive, clear his head and try to settle with the fact that what he'd grown up with was a lie. Dad hadn't betrayed him, Galen had. But at the same time betrayal was wrong, neither of them had, not really, but right now he was so angry, so hurt that it felt exactly just that.

This was part of the problem. He was warring with himself. Part of him understood, but the other part that hurt so much just couldn't settle with it. After spending so much time roaming, it felt right to just drive and let his mind work it out while his jeep ate up the miles of road like he had before he'd been found by Galen again.

A honk behind him and the insistent voice next to his ear brought him back to the present. The girl in the window was holding his coffee. "Huh?"

"Your coffee, mister. You ok?"

"Ah, yeah. Not awake yet," Rob said as he took his coffee from her. "Thanks."

Rob considered that maybe he should stop and take a break. He'd driven as far as Salem, Oregon, down the I-5, just now stopping for the first time to get coffee.

As he drove away from the coffee shop he had a need to see the ocean again. He diverted from I-5 and headed down the 22, looking forward to seeing the Oceanside again.

And so it went for a week. Making decisions as he drove aimlessly down back country highways, staying away from the major roads. Rob stopped when he was tired, ate if he got hungry, and drank gallons of coffee and pop.

He blew through Oregon in hours, down into California and over to Las Vegas. He drove through and didn't stay. He wasn't in the mood for company and Vegas was always busy with people. He headed up the 93 and hit his proverbial wall as he entered into Caliente. He knew he needed to sleep, his eyes were gritty and his limbs heavy with exhaustion. He stopped at the Shades Inn and collapsed onto the mattress, asleep before his head hit the pillow.

Rob startled out of sleep with Galen screaming his name in his head.

'_Gods, Rob! Please! Answer me! What's wrong? Where are you? If you need me I'll be there, wherever you are. Just, man, please answer me. ROB!'_

Rob rubbed the sleep out of his eyes as he sent calming, sleepy feelings back to his big brother._ 'I'm ok. Sorry was sleeping. I didn't hear you. I'm ok ,Galen. Really, I'm ok.'_

'_Sleeping?' _Galen sent back the words almost vibrated with fear, some relief and scepticism._ 'Dude, it's four in the afternoon. You with someone?'_

'_What? No, it can't…Oh, I guess it is,' _Rob said as he glanced at the clock on the table next to his bed._ 'Sorry, man. I… I'm ok. And if you must know I'm alone.'_

'_You sure?'_

"_Yeah. Bed's almost too small for me.'_

'_Rob,' _Galen said his frustration coming through loud and clear.

'_Yeah, man. I am. I'm kinda hungry but well rested,' _he sent with a chuckle over their connection. He shifted to sit up. _'Gods, I think I slept for like fifteen hours.'_

'_Alright. If you're sure you're sure,' _Galen said, reluctant to let go of the connection.

'_Yeah,' _Rob said, sending exasperation and affection to his brother

'_Ok, Brat. Contact me when you need to but definitely two days from now.'_

And so it had gone from then. Rob would check in every other day. The connection was short. Literally 'hey, I'm alive and ok.' And that was it.

Rob got into a pattern of driving, and stopping only when he had to. He'd made his way back towards the water. He'd missed being in the dry desert with his friend Billy who'd taught him how to deal with his Gift. But he found he missed the water even more.

He found himself locked in a daze oftrying to work out what Galen had told him and making peace with it. He avoided people in general and just kept driving.

He blew a tire in a small community outside of Astoria, Oregon. While waiting for the new tire to be installed, and the old rim fixed, he'd taken a stroll and come across a closed off street with tented booths on the waterfront.

Amused, he walked around the various stalls with homemade crafts. There were baked goods, where he snagged an apple turnover and a coffee from the next booth. There were artists with drawings, paintings as well as wood crafts. But the one stall that got him held jewellery. He looked through the necklaces, brooches, rings, and other items for pierced areas. They all held stones in them, jade, amethyst, hematite, and others that sparkled in the bright sunshine. Then there was a small open wooden box with different coloured polished rocks and a stack of small black velvet bags. He ran his fingers through the cool items before walking away with a smile for the owner.

They'd had nice items, eye catching pieces, but nothing that interested him enough to buy. The designs were all basic and bland, depending on the flashy stones to sell them.

Four stalls later, past wood carvings, candles, tarot readers and skin care booths was another jewellery stall. He was about to turn back, figuring it was another run of the mill place when light flashed off a silver amulet, catching his attention.

He smiled as he went over to look at it. He took it off the peg and held it in his hand. It had a good sturdy weight, good craftsmanship, and had the stamp of silver on the base. Rob knew exactly who that amulet needed to belong to.

Rob looked at the woman behind the table. "How much?"

0000000000000

He'd turned straight back towards home after that. Galen's gift had arrived weeks ago. It was a smaller item but had been hand crafted by a certified metal smith. He'd been amazed when it had been delivered even though he'd drawn out the piece himself. It had come out way better than he hoped. It was well balanced, light, durable and sharp. Very sharp.

After what had transpired over the last several weeks, Rob was as nervous as he had been near his 13th birthday with his brother's gift back then

Still a few hours out he opened their link. _'Galen?'_

'_ROB!' _Galen replied instantly. Relief and affection hitting the younger man immediately._ "You ok?"_

"_Yeah I'm good. Real good. In fact I'll be home in a few… make that an hour and a half.'_

'_That's great, Brat! Find what you were looking for?'_

'_Yeah. Think I did.'_

'_Good. Hungry?'_

'_Starving. Haven't eaten all day.'_

'_I'll have Thai here for you,'_

'_Thanks.'_

'_Yeah. I missed you man. Hurry up,' _Galen sent before turning down the link.

Rob couldn't help the smile that lit up his face. He pushed a CD into the player and immediately 'Jupiter' began playing. He was truly on his way home.

0000000000000

Rob made it home a little less than an hour later. It was late enough that the shop was closed up tight for the night, and for him to know his brother wasn't home. It gave him time to clean up a bit and throw a load into the wash.

"Rob?" Galen called as he hurried up the steps. "Man, you must have flown."

"Almost," Rob said as he came out of his room.

Galen put the bags of food on the table and hurried over to his little brother. He looked him up and down, looking for any signs that things were wrong but found none. Then he was wrapping his arms around him in a crushing hug. _'I missed you, Brat.'_

Rob held on just as tightly. _'Me too.'_

Galen pulled back but kept a hand on his shoulder. "You ok?"

Rob gave him a smile. "Yeah. I really am. With everything."

"Good," Galen said, giving his shoulder a squeeze before letting go. "Scared the crap outta me, but you'll make it up. You get to open for the next two weeks."

Rob nodded. He glanced down at the bags on the table, then back to his brother. The question was clear on his face.

Galen laughed. "Flash was in the store when you said you were on the way home."

"Lemme guess. He's out getting refreshments?"

"Yeah."

Flash came up the stairs a short bit later with two cases of beer. "And the kid returns!" he exclaimed with a huge grin. He quickly put down the beers and grabbed Rob into a bone-cracking hug.

"Dude, need to breathe," Rob croaked out.

Flash laughed softly and stepped back, then turned deadly serious. "Scared the hell out of your big brother. Don't do it again."

"C'mon Flash," Galen said as he came out of the kitchen with plates in one hand and three cold beers in the other. "Put the beer in the fridge and leave Rob alone."

Rob was frowning at Galen. _'What?'_

'_Kinda worried you might not come back is all. You're here. It's all that matters,' _Galen said with a shrug.

'_Really?'_

'_Nah. Totally knew you were coming back,' _Galen replied and gave his brother a grin. "Hey, you hangin' out in the kitchen all night or what?"

"Your fridge does not hold beer in their respective cases anymore," Flash complained. "Fix it later."

Galen rolled his eyes and threw a napkin at him. It bounced off his friend's forehead much to the Emrys' amusement.

"Abuse. All I get is abuse," Flash grumbled as he fought back a grin.

Dinner was a loud happy affair. After they sprawled out in the living room watching a movie on mute as Flash provided a commentary.

Rob slowly stood up, yawned loudly and headed for his room.

"Hey, it's a bit early for bed," Flash said as he sat up.

"Man, it's three in the morning," Galen said softly.

"Yeah. Early," Flash said seriously.

"Not going to bed," Rob said before going into his room and coming out a moment later. He held a small white box in his hands which he tossed at Flash.

"What's this?"

"Open it and find out," Rob said with a smile.

"It's not my birthday," Flash said as he shook it gently.

"Nope," Rob said then glanced at Galen.

'_Smaller than a bread box. Am I going to have to clean up a bunch of confetti or something?'_

'_Galen that's lame, even for you. It's a good thing, really. Trust me.'_

'_Ok.'_

Flash looked at Rob for a second before ripping the paper off the package. "Oh my God," he whispered.

"What is it?" Galen asked.

"Where..." Flash said softly before he cleared his throat. "Where'd you find it?"

"Its close, isn't it?" Rob asked hopefully. "It reminded me of the drawing you showed me once. The one you were going to get tattooed once you and Galen got a record deal for The Urban Werewolves?"

"Yeah," Flash said as he breathed out. Slowly he pulled out the item by a thick black cord.

Galen stared at the amulet for a moment before looking at his little brother. _'You had it made?'_

'_No. Found it while I was thinking things through. Gave me an answer I wasn't looking for.'_

'_Which was?'_

'_It was time to come home and to let the past be just what it was. I can't change it, for better or for worse. I just needed to accept it and let it be.'_

Flash cradled the amulet in the palm of his hand. "This is almost just like my great-great-grandfathers. The Celtic knots around the outside and the swirls in the middle," he shook his head. "I can't believe it."

Rob cleared his throat and looked back at Flash. "I've cleansed it and smudged it. Shouldn't give you any problems."

Flash put it on and smiled. "Thanks Rob, really man," he said as he slipped it on over his head.

To be continued...


	13. Chapter 13

**Disclaimer: **Characters out of a books series called Custodes Noctis. Book one – The Legacy and now available Book Two – The Hunt. Characters used with permission.

**Author's Notes: **Yes folks this is the end of the story. I hope to have something else to offer up in this universe soon, but I have several Supernatural stories I have been working on. Also I wrote some lyrics for this chapter and let me forewarn you lyrics/poetry is something I'm not good at.

Thanks Muffy for letting me play in your universe.

I hope you have enjoyed this story.

* * *

**Talisman  
Epilogue**

It was October 30th and the group had gotten together that evening above the Apothecary. The Urban Werewolves were scheduled to play at the Rat's Nest the next night and they were celebrating Galen and Rob's birthday. The Thai food had been cleaned up and the leftovers put away. A few silly gifts had been opened and put aside.

There was quiet conversation, lots of laughs and a general sense of contentment.

Flash fingered his Celtic amulet for a moment feeling a little nervous about the gift he wanted to give his friends. After everything that had happened a few weeks back with the amulet and Rob leaving for almost two weeks, he felt that he had to give back something. He wasn't talented at much, but he had a guitar and could write decent music, the lyrics always left something to be desired. But he liked to write songs and knew it was something he could give back with. As the conversation lulled he knew it was the right time. He cleared his throat uncomfortably.

"Um, ok, so I know it isn't Galen and Rob's birthday until tomorrow, and I could do this then," Flash said as he looked at his friends around the Emry's living room. "But, um, I'd like to give you my gift now," he said softly as he opened his guitar case. He played a few chords and then a few single notes to make sure it was still in tune.

"Dude, you gonna serenade us?" Rob asked.

Flash ignored him and everyone's chuckles. He took a breath as he settled his fingers on the frets and started with rocking individual notes before he took to chords.

_Broken hearts, tears and sorrow  
Left to wonder, feeling hollow  
Family shattered and split apart  
Young and lost, but eager to start_

_Family and friends, here and gone  
Always responding to the call  
Will faith hold or will it shatter  
fight for the good, because it matters_

_Family asunder, future unsure,  
Friends fill void, strong and sure  
Never home, never gone, always here  
Fighting off the dark and fears_

_Family and friends, here and gone  
Always responding to the call  
Will faith hold or will it shatter  
fight for the good, because it matters_

_Links to the past gone, future unsure  
light comes from the least expected place  
Never home, never gone, never doubt  
Will it keep or will faith hold out _

Flash closed his eyes as he continued to play and sang his questionable lyrics. As he got to the end he rocked out the last of the song before he stilled the strings and looked hesitantly up at Galen and Rob.

The room was completely quiet. No one moved, talked or barely breathed. They just sat there staring at him.

Flash swallowed heavily and fingered his amulet. He waited for some kind of response, and he blushed when they just continued to stare.

"Uh, well, um, it still kinda needs a bit of, um, work, maybe? The lyrics could use a lot more, um, work, I, ah, I think. … Oh god, say something! Even that it sucked. I can rework it."

Galen shook his head, the lyrics and the notes still ringing in his head. Every once in a while his friend did this. Pull a song out he'd been working on and played it for him, or for him and Rob. But it had never been _for _him and Rob before, they had just been undedicated songs. But this…. "Flash it was…"

"Incredible," Rob said softly before he ducked his head slightly and shook it. "I'll never get how you come up with these songs and then never play them in front of anyone."

Flash gently put his guitar back into his case. "Yeah, well," he said and shrugged. "It's easier in front of you guys. I'd hate us to be booed off stage at one of the few places we get to play. Besides, when we get that record deal we'll have several to choose from," he said with a bit of a twinkle in his eye.

Galen chuckled. "Yeah, one day, man. One day," he said.

"Thanks," Rob said.

They all started talking about the song, well Mike, Rhiannon, Sarah and Becci all chimed in how much they liked it. Flash, Rob and Galen stayed silent and just listened. The pleased looks on their faces told Flash all he needed to know. They had liked it and that was all that really mattered.

With no threats in the near future, they silently toasted each other before smiling and joining in with the conversation.

**The end.**

**Talisman** 1. Magical object: an object believed to give magical powers to somebody who carries or wears it, e.g. a stone or jewel

**Talisman** 2. Something with magical power: something believed to have magical properties


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